


Sleepless Nights

by PatchOfGrey



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-24
Updated: 2018-05-24
Packaged: 2019-05-13 06:19:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 42,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14743560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PatchOfGrey/pseuds/PatchOfGrey
Summary: They say the best conversations between friends happen at the dead of night. Transferred from Wripples (on fanfiction.net); A collection of Nejiten Vignettes (short scenes) about being in college and just not being able to go to sleep. Relatable right?





	1. I

"New technology is not good or evil and that of itself. It's all about how people choose to use it." - David Wong

Sleepless Night I

She stared at the ceiling. It was probably her tenth try but she she was failing at making herself fall asleep. Maybe she shouldn't have taken that nap...sighing she rubbed her eyes. No, she defiantly wanted to sleep, but her mind wasn't having any of that. Glancing over at her side table, she grabbed her phone.

2:37 am.

Well, fuck.

Squinting at the screen, she lowered the brightness of her phone and checked her Facebook. Everyone was asleep. So she checked her Instagram. Once again, everyone was asleep. All the good night posts were up with the sleepy emojis.

"Mmmmmm..." She groaned.

She knew Lee was probably fast asleep, so there was no point in texting him. Plus he had posted one of his good night paragraphs that gave a rundown of his day and what the plan was for tomorrow. Gaara was up, but she didn't want to text him...the girls were asleep...who did that leave? Going to her messages, she typed in a greeting.

Within a few seconds she get a reply.

"What are you still doing up?"

Tenten blinked. So, she thought. He was up after all. She typed a reply.

"I was just about to head to sleep. Shouldn't you be knocked out?"

It wasn't like she had planned anything to do the next day.

"Have you tried tea?"

She huffed.

"Don't be lazy, Tenten."

The tea would just make her have to use the bathroom. Plus making it would be a hassle since she would have to try not to wake her parents.

"Fine. Have you tried to meditate?"

Rolling her eyes, Tenten typed her reply.

"Well, I'm not sure what to tell you."

She blinked for a moment. He wasn't much help but...

"I suppose I could stay up with you. I have nothing planned for tomorrow either."

She smiled a bit. But then what should they talk about?

"Well, what did you do today?"

Tenten hummed as she typed. In the morning she got her nails done with her mother, then she went out to lunch. Just to go home and take a nice nap for two hours.

"That nap screwed you over. As great as they are you take very long ones."

Tenten's eyebrow twitched; yeah, he would know. She would take naps at his house whenever she came over, but she was able to fall asleep later on.

"I ran some errands for my mother. My father came back from overseas so we went out to dinner and that was it."

Tenten twirled a braid. That would explain why he hadn't answered her all day.

"So..."

Her fingers hovered over the keys. This was that silence where she had to carry on the conversation. Very typical, actually, Neji wasn't one to engage in conversation unless she initiates it first or he had to speak to her about something important. Comfortable silence was enough for the Hyuga, but that made texting him a bit boring and Tenten was trying to get him ono the habit of carrying on a text conversation whenever she didn't feel like calling him. Hmmm...

"Did you study?"

Tenten blinked.

"For finals?"

Scoffing, she replied. Ever since she mysteriously passed math, all her other classes have been nothing but essays and projects. He obviously didn't need to study since he observed everything the first time. That made her irritated just thinking about it.

"You know you can ask for my help. It's not like I'm gonna charge you like the others."

Correction, she thought. He'd only charge of he had some mutual feeling about the other, or someone he considered a friend like Naruto or Lee. But if you didn't fit into those catagories, he won't give you the time of day. For her, though, being his best friend had its perks.

"You sure? You know I don't mind cause it's you."

Tenten smiled. His soft side is showing and she liked it.

"It is not. I'm just being nice"

She replied. His answer was a bit delayed.

"Yeah, yeah. I guess I am lucky that you 'put up with me'. I suppose to safe to say I'm lucky to have you as well."

She grinned. Then yawned. She liked where this was going.

"Don't you have cheer practice tomorrow?"

Tenten scoffed. She did but-

"Maybe you should try to sleep. Coffee can only do but so much."

Mr. Know it all... She thought. Instead of texting him back, she opened Snap Chat and turned on her lamp.

She received a snap back from him within seconds.

"So we re snapping now huh?" He had put with a picture of his book.

Tenten adjusted herself so she looked somewhat presentable under her lamp light.

"The braids look good on you." He had replied with a picture of himself looking down into the camera.

She smiled and quickly fixed her face. Think cute, she thought. Think cute.

"You look tired." Was the reply.

Damnit. So much for trying to be cute. She sent her reply.

"Don't pout at me, you're the one who can't sleep."

She grinned. True, very true. But she enjoyed how he would react to her faces. Tenten knew she was very expressive. And he was the one who sat there and felt with them.

"Starting to look tired." The caption said over a stoic face.

Oh that face. All the girl cooed over that face and she never understood why; he looked way more attractive when he smiled. She sent her reply with her cheeks puffed up.

"Turn off your lamp."

So she did; and snapped herself in the dark.

"Smart ass, close your eyes." He snapped back.

And so she did.

After a few moments her phone buzzed. He had snapped her again to see if she was still awake. But since she didn't reply, he guessed that she was finally out.

When Tenten woke up, she saw his snap along with a text of good night. Stretching, she swung her legs over and stood. Before heading to the bathroom she texted him:

"Good morning, Neji."


	2. II

Stab the body and it heals, but injure the heart and the wound lasts a lifetime -Mineko Iwasaki

Sleepless Night II

Neji pulled a towel over his head as he walked out of the bath. He needed a long one after a long afternoon of track practice. He never really expected to be caught up in sports when he got to university. He had come into this new stage in his life with a goal to strictly focus on his studies to se could get into law school and move forward in his life. Perhaps because his best friend had decided to join the cheer team, he chose to-once in a while-hang out during the men's track team practices and accidently become team captain once the former graduated; definitely and accident. But it was thanks to track that he reconnected with some friends from high school, like Rock Lee and make some new friends that he had no intention of making. Everything was going off from his original plans, however, he wasn't mad about it. Combing his hair, he glanced at the clock on his desk. It was nearly one in the morning and he was weirdly wide awake. His phone was sitting idling beside his bedside table; perhaps he could see who is awake. A bunch of his friends stayed up way past the deepest hours of the night, however, Neji didn't feel like taking part in their group chat (to which he had on mute for the past week). Humming to himself, he scrolled through his contacts and found his best friend's name. She had decorated her ID with a red heart and a panda emoji. Swiftly, he sent her a text.

"Yeah...why?" Came her response in less than a minute.

Oh, she was awake. He sent her a reply.

"Obviously, genius."

Rolling his eyes, he sat himself on his bed. His phone buzzed and showed she sent him a snap. Her face was half covered by her pillow and her hair was in braids. A golden brown eye was closed.

"What do you want?" Was the caption.

Smirking, he decided to go to his contacts and FaceTime her. It rang a few times before she picked up. Tenten appeared on his screen, squinting. She had rolled onto her back and rubbed her eyes.

"What?" She whined, her headphones in her ears.

"I just wanted your company. Is that a crime?" He replied.

Tenten's eyebrows shot to her forehead. Tenten loved her sleep, he mused. But they were in this funny stage of their young adulthood where they loved to be asleep and yet would rather be awake until dawn.

"To what do I owe this rare form of communication from you, oh princess?" She drawled.

Neji sucked his teeth and proceeded to run his fingers through his freshly combed hair. He noticed Tenten watching him intensely as he swiped his hair back from his face.

"You know," she blinked." I never understood why you never started dating. You have enough girls at school who would die to be yours."

Neji looked directly into the screen.

"I have no interest in any of them." He replied flatly.

"Now that I think about it...I'm the only girl you actually hang out with besides your younger cousin." She continued with a hum.

"Yeah, and?" He replied standing up.

Tenten eyed him. He watched-from the corner of his eye- she took a good look at his bare torso. A smirk came to his face as it was obvious she was checking him out. He never thought Tenten would see him as more than a friend, though once in a while he'd catch her gaze lingering more than they should be. Then again, that stare could also be her way of judging him; she was definitely one to silently judge.

"Never seen a naked man before?" He asked.

"Idiot," Tenten hissed. "I just realized you weren't wearing anything."

"And you're staring."

"Of course." She grinned. "Is staring such a crime?"

Neji shook his head amusingly. He started to notice a slight change in her mannerisms as of late. She would stand closer to him whenever they walked together, her smiles became brighter, and whenever he would put his hand on her shoulder, or her back, Tenten's eyes would widen for a split second before turning her head. All these signs, he thought, it was unlike her. Once, when they had went to their usual park space to hang out, he had to catch her when she jumped from a high tree branch. She clung onto his neck and her face turned a light pink color when he asked if she was alright.

"And yet, whenever I look at you, you turn your head." He stated with a hum.

Tenten rolled her eyes which caused the Hyuga teen to let out a chuckle. Well, that hasn't changed. The screen shifted as Tenten sat up. Her tank top had a low-cut neck dip which began to sag. Neji's eyes widened a bit and he pursed his lips together; she didn't wear a bra to bed.

"What's with that face?" She asked clearing her throat.

"I...nothing." He replied.

Tenten watched as the screen moved. She figured he was finally getting some pants on. Neji placed his phone on the tripod, to which gave Tenten a good view of his torso. He rummaged through his drawers.

"So, what's the big reason you're up so late?" She asked.

Neji looked at his phone and shrugged. He just couldn't fall asleep. It was a pretty easy day, so he guessed that was the reason why he didn't knock out. So, Tenten asked about his day. His torso dipped on the screen. He was probably pulling up his boxers. Earlier in the morning, he had helped his step-mother clean the house. Then, he had to run to Hinata's house to help his youngest cousin, Hanabi, with her school project. While he was there, his uncle had him assist with some paperwork from the family company; that took a few hours...

"I also met up with the guys." He added grabbing some sweat pants.

"Mmmm," Tenten hummed, still slightly distracted by his toned muscles that slightly flexed as he moved.

"Destroyed them at the arcade, went out to eat...ended up going to a party. Sasuke and I ended up leaving early-"

"Why? Did it suck?" She played with her braid.

"Well, you know I'm not much of a party person, Ten. If I'm not with you or Lee-I really don't see the reason in going."

Tenten giggled. Of course, the great Hyuga Neji never liked parties. Well, no...that's a lie. He didn't like the people who ended up going to these parties. Tenten was usually the only sober company he had. Or if she wanted to get wasted, he'd just follow her around until he had to take her home (but that was on the rare occasion). At parties, they'd sit and observe. The pair found amusement in narrating other's lives as they watched their surroundings.

"I haven't gotten shit faced in a while." Tenten stated.

Neji grabbed his phone off the tripod and proceeded to walk over to his bed.

"Well, I still have that bottle of plum sake here from the last time."

"Oh, and my brother just got back from America. He got a bottle of silver tequila." Tenten said.

Shaking his head, the Hyuga teen sighed. That was another thing; they only got drunk at his house. His step-mother knew they wouldn't trash the place, so it's not like she'd have to worry about them. Although, there was one time she had left a box of condoms near the couch for him. The teen had to thoroughly explain to her that he wasn't sleeping with Tenten. His step-mother merely winked at him and told him that he never knew when it would happen...but at the rate they're going it might. Neji had pushed that thought out of his mind as quickly as it surfaced.

"I didn't get what she meant at the time, but now I just laugh at it." Tenten stuck her tongue out at him. "Besides, who wouldn't want to sleep with you? I surely wouldn't mind."

Neji blinked. Did she just... He tilted his head at her.

"Are you implying that you'd sleep with me, Tenten?"

Tenten hummed. Sure she would, she replied rather matter-a-factly. That's when she winked at him. Neji's Adam's Apple bobbed as he just looked at her. He wasn't one to be sexually active. He's slept with some girls, nothing that was worth remembering, really but he was active at one point in his university career. Tenten wasn't one to openly talk about this topic...then again he was certain that it held no importance to her, which is why she never discussed it s casually with him specifically. She has to have spoken to the girls about it, though...right?

"Have you slept with anyone before?" He dared to ask.

"Yeah, Sasuke."

Neji dropped his phone onto his wooden floor. He couldn't believe it. Uchiha? Really? How did he not hear about it? Better yet, why the hell did it happen? That moody kid had the audacity to lay a finger on his best friend! To top it of, she was so causal about it.

"Neji? Neji!" Her voice sounded from the phone.

His lips now in a thin line, he picked his phone back up. Tenten tilted her head slightly as she tried to study his face through the screen.

"So," Neji gritted his teeth. "When did that happen?"

Tenten hummed. It was a few months ago, she told him. She couldn't quite remember how they ended up doing it; she thinks it happen at a party they attended...but it did happen and it wasn't a big deal. At this, the Hyuga glared at the screen. Not a big deal? It was totally a big deal! His best friend slept with Uchiha Sasuke, his underclassmen shadow, and didn't even bother to tell him.

"Neji, relax. It's already over and done with. No need to get your panties in a twist." Tenten grumbled.

The Hyuga let out a huff. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he told her to never do that again. Tenten laughed; why did it matter so much to him? Who knew. However, she assured him that she had no intention of connecting to the Uchiha boy again. Like, at all. And yet-that still bothered him. Neji laid back on his pillows and looked at the ceiling. Damn, he thought. That was utterly uncalled for. There was a little moment of silence between them. When he glanced at the screen, he saw that she said set up her pink pillows behind her back. The Hyuga was now looking up at her at a slight angle as she fixed her braids. He let out a sigh. Just looking at her made him realize that, perhaps, he shouldn't be surprised that she was now sexually active. She had big brown eyes that sparkled gold when the light hit them. Her heads were small but her fingers were long and slender. She had a button nose that would scrunch up cutely whenever she got annoyed. She had full lips and a small waist with hips that gave her an hourglass figure. And her legs, he clenched his jaw. She had always been taller than him. At least until he started his growth spurts. Even though he towered over her now, he was certain that her legs could wrap around him twice.

And Uchiha Sasuke touched all of her.

"You're not jealous are you?" She chirped.

Neji scoffed. Turning his head from the screen he shook his head. Jealous? Yeah, right.

"You totally are." Tenten laughed. "Oh man-"

"I can assure you, I am far from jealous, Tenten."

"Yeah, and I'm the queen of England." She grinned. "Awww, that's cute."

Neji rolled his eyes as he felt a blush creep up onto his cheeks. This was why they never spoke about this stuff. He didn't feel like hearing about her casual sex partners and it never crossed his mind that one of them could be part of his group of friends. But who was he to judge? Flaring his nostrils, he looked back at the screen. Tenten had grabbed what seemed to be a tablet of some kind and was swiping vigorously through it.

"What are you doing?" He asked after a while trying to change the subject.

"Looking through Facebook. Turns out, we're not the only ones awake. Plus, I'm stuck in a group chat with the girls." She sighed.

"Ah," he replied slightly uninterested. "Just remove yourself from the chat."

At this she shrugged.

"This is how I catch up on whatever drama the girls have concocted."

Neji exhaled. Her attention redirected to her phone.

"Besides, they'd come at me at school for leaving the chat." She added with a yawn.

Neji gave a small smile as Tenten smacked her lips together.

"Should I let you sleep?" He asked softly.

Tenten shrugged. It wasn't like she had anything planned for the day. Sleeping could wait if he really couldn't knock out, she told him. Shaking his head, the Hyuga told her to not wait up on him anymore. He wished her good night before letting his head sink into the cushions. After a moment of silence, Neji unlocked his phone.

"So, I heard you slept with my best friend..." He sent over text.


	3. II-2

You can be the moon and still be jealous of the stars- Gary Allan

Sleepless Night II-2

Neji tapped on the side of his phone with his lips pursed in a straight line. Sasuke was taking his sweet time replying to him. The Uchiha wasn't asleep; that kid usually stayed up until the wee-hours of the morning during the weekends either playing Overwatch with Naruto or League of Legends with Shikamau. Plus, that bastard had left him on "Read". The Hyuga still couldn't wrap his mind around what Tenten had told him. First off, what party did she go to that he was not invited to? Second, if Sasuke went, that means the ready of the track team went to this party; how are you going to go to a team party and not invite your captain? Third, you do not invite Hua Tenten without inviting Hyuga Neji; that's not how this worked. How in the hell could she be so nonchalant about something like this? Blowing a raspberry, Neji resorted to chewing on a lock of hair, a habit he tried so hard to shake when tense however, unable to. "Over and done with," she had told him; no, this was not "over and done with" this was far from that. Inhaling sharply, he figured he was the last person to know about this. There was no way that Uchiha kept something like that to himself. His arrogant attitude was the perfect setup for bragging to his friends that he slept with an upperclassmen who was a cheerleader as well. What the fuck was this high school? He thought he escaped that stereotype after they graduated. That ticked him off even more...his eyes squinted as three dots appeared on the lower left hand side of the message screen, expecting a sharp reply from the Uchiha.

"Alright you bastard...what do you have to say for yourself…?" The Hyuga grumbled.

"Yeah. What of it?" Came the reply.

The Hyuga's eyebrow twitched. He had to take a breath; inhale…exhale. He had to come off as if it was just a casual discussion-like it was usual friend talk-he wasn't instigating; oh no, no, no, no! He was just...curious (he tried to convince itself he was curious at least) about how the whole thing happened. He wanted to make sure that it wasn't some stupid dare that most party games end up becoming. Plus, he wanted to see if the Uchiha would give him more information since he knew Tenten wasn't going to elaborate. Sending a smooth reply, Neji pursed his lips together. The response came quicker this time.

"Oh, she did tell you?"

The Hyuga hummed. What was that supposed to mean? Of course she did. They were best friends.

"Oh…"

That's it? Just a one worded response? No tease, no jabs? Neji hovered his hands over the screen. He had to be careful with this next question so it didn't make it seem as though he was coming off as jealous. Hitting send, he laid his phone on his lap and rubbed his eyes. Perhaps this should've waited until they actually saw each other in person, he thought. That way he could get the Uchiha's tone of speech and mannerisms. Texting about this was a bit tedious for him, but he didn't want to be too forward. If he pushed this, Sasuke would definitely tell Tenten, and she'd start fussing at him for digging into her business. Now that he thought about it, Tenten was very quick to dismiss that conversation. It was as if he wasn't supposed to know in the first place. But this is where he was kicking himself; he was the one who asked if she had ever slept with anyone to begin with. Granted it was an honest question, and deep down he was hoping the answer was no. Clenching his jaw, he breathed outward with force. Of all people though...Uchiha Sasuke? Really? His phone vibrated.

"It was a hit it and quit it type of thing. Nothing came after it."

For some reason that answer ticked the Hyuga off. That was all she was to him? He never understood how someone could sleep with another and not feel some kind of connection afterward. So, that was it then? Tenten was just some girl he managed to bang and forget about the next day? Disgusting, he thought. Before he replied, Sasuke texted back.

"You're jealous."

Neji huffed. No, he wasn't. He just didn't like to be the last person to know what was going on in his best friends life. And the way Sasuke explained to him, showed that is was nothing more than an empty encounter. Which bothered him to some extent. She had told him that she would sleep with him, but would it be in the same light that she slept with the Uchiha? He wasn't sure he was ready for something like that.

"Oh shit…" Neji mumbled as something clicked.

He was indeed jealous. Looking down at his phone, he realized that he left the Uchiha on "read" for a suspiciously long period of time. So what if it? He could be jealous that his best friend got laid before he did. He could be jealous that she could feel so nonchalant about it where he would probably drag his feeling out. This wasn't just about Tenten.

"No." More dots appeared. "You like her, don't you?"

The Hyuga paused. And more dots appeared.

"That's why you're making a big deal out of this. You're jealous that I slept with your girl before you got to her first."

In his mind, he could imagine the Uchiha laughing at his phone as he typed that response. He had no idea what he was talking about. He was a loyal, protective best friend who just wanted to get more information on the situation. Why should he care that Sasuke got to her first? What did that even mean? If Tenten slept with other guys before that it wouldn't matter too much to him. Okay, that was a lie and he knew it-but it was worth trying to convince himself of that.

"Listen, you can have her. Tenten and I are just really good friends. I'm not out for your girl, I'm not gonna steal her from you or anything like that. I'm not that low."

Oh, but how could Neji trust that? If t happened awhile ago why didn't they say anything when it happen? Why would Tenten be embarrassed about it if she said it to casually before? Realizing that his emotions were beginning to spew from his chest, Neji put his phone back down on his lap and put his face in his hands. Once he got his breathing under control again, he picked up his phone and sent a message.

"Probably because she knew you'd overreact if she told you...like you are now."

Three dots appeared once more.

"And no, nobody else knows."

At least that gave him some relief. What a mess, Neji thought. As long as nobody else knows, he supposed he could live with it. It's not like he had a choice anyway…A text popped up.

"I'm gonna go back to my Xbox."

And another.

"If you're that worried about it. Why don't you just tell her you like her and you don't have to worry about it any more?"

Point, Neji mused.

"I'm not gonna lie, Tenten is a great girl. I can see how others would find her attractive and this situation is a bit silly to confront me about since you know me well enough not to be an asshole about this type of nonsense. Do you honestly think if I wanted to make a scene I would've? Get over it man."

Another point. Sasuke avoided pointless arguments and conversations. Sucking his teeth, he decided to end the conversation there. Leaving the Uchiha on "read" was probably best for his sanity at the moment. Plus he was still a bit salty

OOoOoooooOOoOoOoOooOoooOoO

Sasuke hummed as he looked at his phone. No reply, he thought. Replacing his head set over his ears, he called out to Naruto to join his team for another round. The Blonde responded happily as they waited for other party members to join their squad. Sipping at his soda, the Uchiha thought about how he should've handled that situation differently. There were definitely some things he did not tell Neji. And he bet the Hyuga would be knocking on his door if Tenten had told him as well. However, since it was simply through text, the bun head had failed to tell the Hyuga something that could possibly ruin their friendship for good.

"A team with no healer! Are these guys insane?" Naruto's voice echoed in his ears.

Sasuke grunted in response and held his controller firmly on his lap. In a way he didn't think the topic would've came up. What the hell were they talking about that it came up? It was possible that the Hyuga had known something was up and finally worked up the guts to say something. But he didn't think that was it since Tenten had kept quiet about it for a while...plus the Hyuga wasn't even at that party. How did he know she hadn't said anything to him before? Well, Sasuke had taken it upon himself to continue to talk to the Chinese girl after they did the dirty. He'd meet up with her after some of her classes or even after school to hang out. Sasuke had made it a point to make sure that everything was cool between them and there was no suspicious tension whenever they were with the group. And even the Uchiha was shocked to find out that she had thought about the situation more subtly that he did. At that, Neji had some right to be a bit on his guard. She even shocked Sasuke when they talked about it the next day it happen. They had come to an agreement to not say anything. And, he inhaled, if it were to happen again, she'd need to put him in his place. The possibility of it happening again was quite low. However, it was their choice to sleep with each other in the first place with no alcohol added. Yes, he thought. If Neji knew that they slept together while sober, he would hunt down the Uchiha for sure. To think that alcohol would have probably made a difference was quite irresponsible of him, but it was the best, unspoken excuse the Hyuga would definitely accept.

"Yo, Sasuke. You alright?"

Sasuke loosened his grip on the controller.

"You're playing loner again when we need you by the transport."

Sighing, Sasuke shifted his attention to the objective of the mission.

"Relax, I caught a few of the others hiding out." The Uchiha replied in a cool tone.

"You were also gone for a while before. What was that about?"

Sucking his teeth, Sasuke quickly glanced at his locked phone.

"It's nothing. I just stepped away from the t.v. for a few."

"But-"

"Let it go, Naruto...and watch this Road Hog to your left-"

"Oh fuck!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. Perhaps it was wrong of him to invite her to the party. He only invited her in the first place because he needed an upperclassmen for show. And since Tenten is always down to have a good time, she agreed. In a way he couldn't really help himself. Her hair was down in curls and her crop top hugged her upper torso, showed off that nice figure that he couldn't help but look at. To top it off, she wore black leather leggings that made her thighs look great and heels. They had danced, they played some games, but it wasn't until right before they were ready to leave that Sasuke pulled her up the stairs and into one of the vacant bedrooms. She didn't push him off or verbally reject him. In fact, he actually asked her if it would be weird to sleep with him. Sasuke was pleasantly surprised when she smiled and shrugged her shoulders, thus initiating their sex. After the fact, he realized, wasn't as odd as he thought it was at the time. He led her out of the party by the hand and they walked to her car where she dropped him off at home. The next morning, he had sent her a text to which she replied almost instantly. That was normal wasn't it? It's a thing that friends do, he supposed.

"Ugh, our team sucks ass…" Naruto groaned from the head set.

"Keep up with me, fool." Sasuke replied.

Yeah, it was no big deal. The Uchiha shrugged his shoulders and he picked up his phone. He sent a quick text to the Hyuga, not caring if he saw it or not and threw his phone on his bed.


	4. III

I am not as confident as the characters I play. I am a bit aloof. I am uncomfortable in social situations- Anushka Sharma

Sleepless night III

Tenten shifted in her shower. The hot water was beating on her head and steam was raising from the porcelain tub. She had finished washing herself for what seemed to be only a few minutes ago and now she was just standing there. It was an interesting day… no an interesting week. Ever since her little discussion with Neji, he's been acting odd. Neji usually acts odd but odd in a way that most people see as aloof. He was never aloof to her; Hyuga Neji was the only female he talks to without an attitude. This whole week he just, she glared at her tiled shower wall, stood there next to her-rather closely she may add- and was silent. To top it off, the Uchiha was talking to her more than usual. Did they talk? Tenten blew a raspberry, of course they spoke. She wondered if Sasuke was trying to get to her again. But for what exactly? It was a one time deal and they were friends. Just friends, nothing more than that; besides, he was bouncing between girls anyway, why would he bother to start getting to her? Shutting off the faucet, Tenten wrapped her we curls in a towel and proceeded to dry herself off with another. Her phone was resting on the sink, not a single notification had come in from Neji. Grabbing a sheet mask for her face, the chinese girl unlocked her phone as she walked to her room. Plopping onto the bed, she browsed through everyone's snapchats. Oh, she thought. They were all out tonight. And by "they" she meant the men's track team. Neji was their esteemed captain with Lee as their co-captain. Pressing on Lee's profile, there were clips of the boys sitting at a long dinner table grinning and holding up beers. It then switched to Lee grinning at the camera and holding up a glass of cranberry juice. A chuckle escaped from Tenten's lips as her friend made silly faces at the camera. A bunch of clowns they were. Touching her screen she went back to the menu and clicked on Naruto's profile. The first clip was of the upperclassmen members of the track team hanging out on the bench, drinking water with towels. Naruto is speaking to the camera about being overworked and he zooms in on the Hyuga, who rolls his eyes and flips him off.

"How typical." Tenten laughed as she went back to the menu.

This time she clicked onto Sasuke's profile. Sasuke had his face cam on and was messing around with the filters with Sakura. The pink haired medical student was making cute faces while the Uchiha just sat there and clicked between filters. The the screen switched to a mirror picture with his outfit for the day; black ripped skinny jeans, a navy blue v-neck and a leather jacket. The caption read "Time to spend money to make money". Tenten nodded to herself, fully feeling the struggle of paying for university out of pocket. She, the Hyuga and the Uchiha did not qualify for any financial aid and their scholarships only covered textbooks. Tenten had to take out a loan with the Uchiha while Neji was able to pay for every semester in cash. Lucky rich bastard, she grumbled and rolled her eyes. The next snap was a selfie of himself and Naruto at track practice, only Naruto was holding the phone and Sasuke was mid eyeroll with the water bottle held up to his lips. Once again, she could see Neji in the background.

"Maybe I should text Lee? Just to see how they're going?" Tenten hummed as she poked at her still moist face sheet mask.

Opening her phone, she goes click open her messenger app, but not before pausing at her home screen. It was of her and Neji after their first day of university. It was an off guard picture that Ino snapped when her, Sakura and Hinata met up with them after their senior year classes (of high school). It was a great off guard picture, she was wearing the red and white Konoha University cheer uniform and he was in his matching rack suit. His hair was in a high ponytail and she had a bow handing attached to each of her buns. When people see this picture, the first question is usually if they're together or not. To which she replies with a quick no, and Neji just stands next to her awkwardly. Sighing, she opens Lee's contact and snet a quick greeting. Within seconds, she saw the three dots appear as he was typing his response.

"Good evening, Tenten! What are you still doing awake?" was his reply.

Tenten grinned as she typed back, her fingers quickly clicking away on her phone screen.

"Why yes, it happens to me sometimes as well. I always end up taking a jog around the block whenever I cannot sleep. Perhaps you could try it?"

Tenten chuckled, that was definitely something Lee would do. However, she had already showered and had a face mask on, so going out at the moment wasn't ideal. Besides, it was half past midnight.

"Very well then, Lotus. Is there anything I can do for you since you're awake?"

Rock Lee was super sweet; He was too sweet. Anything she needed, he would be the first to jump up and get it for her or any of their friends. He was a great ray of sunshine in their group. She just wanted someone to talk to in the meantime. She told him that she'd usually text Neji, but he had been very odd to her all week.

"Would you like me to tell him to message you? I haven't noticed him acting oddly."

Tenten chewed on her lip but she sent an affirmative text anyway.

OooooooooooooooOOOooooooooooooooooooooooo

Rock Lee tilted his head to the side slightly as he attempted to send a reply. The blonde that was sitting next to him had noticed his sudden silence and looked over his shoulder. The bowl cut was had looked up and glanced over at the Hyuga sitting at the head of the table. Was he acting oddly? Neji was a quiet person, but for Tenten to believe he was acting odd meant that something was bothering him. He told Tenten everything, and she to him. Lee would always find out later, after the issue was resolved or it was pushed aside. However, if Tenten had no idea what was wrong with him, was it really serious? Naruto, slightly tipsy, asked him why he was messaging Tenten in a very loud tone. Everyone at the table glanced his way.

"She could not sleep and texted me to check in on us." Lee said simply pulling at the collar of his green polo hoodie.

"Ah…" Naruto drawlled. "She should come hang with us!"

"I would invite her, however she has informed me that she has already showered and has on a face mask." Lee replied sipping at his juice. "In fact, I believe she asked me to have Neji text her."

Neji shifted in his seat. All the boys shifted their gaze to the head of the table. Sasuke let loose a smirk and Shikamaru made a humming noise. After a moment, Naruto asked him if he was going to text her. The Hyuga grunted and took a swig if his beer; he'll text her when they leave. The group shared a collective blink at his response. That's when Lee realized what Tenten meant by "odd". He was avoiding her, Rock Lee thought. Sasuke and Shikamaru exchanged glances before nodding to each other. The Uchiha then asked the Hyuga for his phone.

"Why? You have your own." Neji stated.

"It's dead," Sasuke said holding up his blank screen. "Besides, yours is fully charged right?"

"Why do you need it?"

"I need to make a call to check up on someone."

The track team captain sighed and fished his phone out of his pocket. Unlocking it, he hesitantly handed it to the Uchiha. The younger boy cocked an eyebrow at his lock screen; it was of Neji and Tenten in their sports uniforms when they first started university. And by the looks of it, the bun headed cheerleader had locked arms with him and the Hyuga was actually smiling in the photo. He's got it bad, the Uchiha thought. Shikamaru leaned over and watched as Sasuke went through the Hyuga's contact book. Shoot, he couldn't find her name. He didn't want to risk going into his text messages to find her number, Neji would kill him for going through whatever personal conversations he had with the girl. Hmmm, oh wait-he grinned a bit to himself-he memorized her number. But what to do? He wasn't going to simply call her… Opening the facetime App, Sasuke typed in Tenten's number. Shikamaru chuckled as the caller ID popped up for her; it was a red heart emoji and a panda. Pressing the green button, Sasuke held the phone a few inches from his face and adjusted his bangs as it rang.

"They better have an iPhone whoever you're FaceTiming…" Neji growled. "You're gonna use up my data."

"Oh, don't worry… she does." The Uchiha replied as he glanced back at the screen.

C'mon Tenten pick up, he thought. After a moment, the screen flashed. Tenten had propped up her phone onto a tripod in her bathroom. Shikamaru let an audible gasp escape his throat which cause the other boys to turn their attention to him. Sasuke let a loose smile go at the screen as Tenten realized that it wasn't Neji who was calling her. The Hyuga paid no mind as Sasuke winked at the screen.

"Well, I didn't expect you to actually be awake… or just in a towel." The Uchiha cooed at the screen.

That's when all the boys, except for Neji, leaned forward trying to get a glimpse of the screen. Shikamaru leaned over closer and gave a lazy wave to the phone.

"How's the night going? You guys at a bar?" Tenten asked as she brought some tweezers up to her brows.

"I wouldn't say it was a bar, it's more like a restaurant type deal." Sasuke replied.

"Oh, can I see?" The brunette asked.

Sasuke switched the camera settings so Tenten could see through the front camera. It was a nice looking restaurant. The Uchiha waved the camera over to the boys. Naruto grinned and waved, unsure of who exactly he was waving to. Rock Lee shot a bright smile and threw his thumb up. Kiba and Shino gave gentle waves and returned back to their conversation. When the Uchiha shifted the camera to the Hyuga, she hummed.

"He doesn't look too thrilled to be there." She states and proceeded to groom her eyebrows.

"Well, dollface, when is he ever thrilled to be anywhere," he changed the camera back to selfie mode. "Unless of course, if you were here I'm sure he'd act differently."

Tenten rolled her eyes. Her presence at events doesn't always affect her best friend's emotions. At this, Sasuke clicked his tongue. He proceeded to tell her that she made all the difference when it came to him. And with that comment, she laughed awkwardly. That laugh reached the Hyuga's ears and he finally looked over at the Uchiha. Sending a glare over to him, he asked who he was blabbing to.

"Wow, blabbing?" Sasuke blinked and looked back at the phone. "Tenten can you believe his attitude-right now-to me?"

Neji's eyes widened and he could've sworn his heart had stopped beating for a second. How did he find her number in his phone? He didn't put her name in it for a simple fact that he never left his phone unlocked. But the Uchiha was able to find her contact info? How…?

"Hey Hyuga, say hi to your girl at least." Shikamaru grunted.

Neji was unprepared when Sasuke twisted around in his seat so that the view of the Hyuga was now in the camera's range. The track team captain pursed his lips into a thin line as he noticed that his best friend was FaceTiming the Uchiha while sitting in her bathroom with nothing but a towel. Why the hell was she talking to him, on facetime, while she was in a towel? Wait, she thought it was he who called, not Sasuke. She probably thought it was Neji who wanted to talk to her and she was comfortable with talking to him in just a towel. Just like how he was comfortable with facetiming her fresh out of the shower. And yet, why isn't she covered up once she realized it wasn't him? Why the fuck is she sitting in nothing but a towel talking to Sasuke? He reached for his phone with a pained look on his face, but Sasuke twisted around again to show off the guys.

"Oh-so you did call Tenten. Hi, Tenten!" Naruto exclaimed waving his beer bottle in the air.

"Haha. Hi, Naruto. Hey, Kiba. Hey, Shino." Tenten's voice sounded from the phone.

"Tenten you should come out and chill with us" Kiba suggested. "I got no problem buying you a drink."

Tenten merely giggled before Sasuke moved the phone so he was in view again. The Uchiha stated that he shouldn't be buying drink for other people's girlfriends. At this Neji stood and rounded the table. He knew what Sasuke was doing, and he needed it to stop right there before it got out of hand. The Hyuga was behind the younger boy now and reached for his phone. Just as he was about to rip it from the Uchiha's hands, Shikamaru grabbed it and offered a small smile to the very confused brunette on the screen.

"So, Tenten. Tell me," The Nara side glanced at a grinning Sasuke holding back a flustered Neji from grabbing his phone. "You're single right?"

Tenten cocked an eyebrow but nodded as she reached for something in the screen. The three boys near the phone paused. The Chinese girl's towel had slipped a bit and her bosom was beginning to get loose. Neji felt a blush creep onto his cheeks as she apologized and readjusted herself. Shikamaru shook his head and side glanced at his captain, observing how the Hyuga's cheeks turned a faint shade of pink as he blinked a few times at the screen...

"Yeah, I'm single." She said simply. "Why?"

"And you have no feelings for anyone else...like say, Sasuke here?"

Tenten let out a hard laughed. No, she did not like Sasuke in that way. Yes, they had a fling but it was a one time thing and although she did feel something back then for the young Uchiha, she had stronger feeling for someone else. Neji and Sasuke paused; Sasuke was a bit flattered that she actually had feelings for him at some point (it wasn't obvious to the Uchiha and she acted so cool around him) and Neji was waiting for her to spill to Shikamaru who she had feelings for. But Tenten shrugged when Shikamaru asked who it was. At this point the table was quiet and waiting for her to answer. Tenten was in the middle of putting moisturizer on her face when Neji once again reached for his phone. Sasuke pushed him back and stared intensely at the device in the lazy genius' hands. How could they get Tenten to spill who she liked?

"C'mon Ten, give me a hint. I'll see if he's available." Shikamaru took a swig of his beer. "You know I'd never do you wrong."

"He is single. I already know that. But lately he's been avoiding me and I don't know why." She mused in a sad tone as she patted her cheeks lightly with her finger tips. "I appreciate the help, Shikamaru, but there's not much to do."

The boys all looked to Neji. The Hyuga was still trying to reach for his phone but after a moment he gave up and put his face in his hands; they were going to ruin him, he thought. This is not how this was supposed to happen. Shikamaru eyed the Hyuga as he idled nervously. The Nara kid told Tenten to talk to Sasuke as he handed the Uchiha the phone. He rounded the table and put a hand on his captain's shoulder. A groan came from the older boy's throat. He had a chance, the Nara told him. He needed to stop being a total wuss and tell her. Hyuga Neji was no wuss, but when it came to Tenten, just throw him in the corner. The Hyuga watched as Sasuke chatted her up and flirted with her; her giggles echoed in his ears. This annoyed him. The Uchiha has always annoyed him and he was doing it on purpose based on the smirk that was tattooed on his lips. Shrugging off the Nara, he snatched his phone and walked towards the door where it was quieter. Tenten offered a small smile as she watched him pinch the bridge of his nose and inhale before looking at the screen.

"I'm sorry about that." He murmured.

"It's alright. I don't mind." She flashed him a cheeky grin.

She never minded, he thought. Leaning against the door frame, Neji let out an exasperated sigh as he glanced back at the table of his track team staring at him. Rolling his eyes, he flipped them off before bringing his attention back to his phone. Tenten was in the process of shifting to her room, probably to get dressed. He was looking at the ceiling for a few moment and he could hear shuffling from her end. Once she adjusted the camera, she was wearing sweats and a t-shirt. He watched as she adjusted her pillows and propped herself onto her bed.

"I hope they weren't disturbing you…" he said softly. "Especially since you just took a shower."

"No, it's fine. I couldn't sleep anyway. I texted Lee since… well." She looked away from the screen. "It seems like you've been avoiding me all week."

Neji's chest sank. He had a bad habit of distancing himself from potential fears or problems that could raise up; if he could avoid it early, then so be it. What she mean by "avoiding" was not talking to her. He was there physically with her, but he didn't want to say anything. He couldn't think of anything to say to her about the topic of her sleeping with Sasuke and how he felt about it. And there was no way in hell he was going to admit to her that he was a bit jealous that the Uchiha got to her first or that he felt a bit angry that she even had feelings for the young boy in the first place. However, she said she liked someone more, he had a little bit of hope left. When it came to guys, Tenten was very straightforward and blunt if she didn't like what she saw or had no interest. In fact, he was afraid of her rejection and the awkwardness that would potentially sprout after he confessed… if he confessed.

"Tenten…" he pursed his lips together. "I'm sorry I've been acting weird lately."

"Don't be sorry. I just get worried that something's wrong." came her reply. "When you don't keep me in the loop I don't know what to do with myself when you act like this."

Neji inhaled sharply as she averted his gaze from the screen. He apologized for making her worry and not being very vocal about what he was thinking about. There was just somethings he couldn't really figure out at the moment, and didn't want to burden her when it was all on him. Tenten scoffed, promptly telling him that he needed to stop being so hard on himself. She went on talking for another few minutes, but the Hyuga had zoned out...the alcohol was finally hitting him and he was internally panicking. A drunk Hyuga Neji could g one of two ways; first, he could become insanely touchy-feely with whoever interacts with him. Second, he won't stop talking. According to his team, he will talk about everything and anything. If someone threw a random word a him, he'd lecture about the word or a topic related to the word for a long while. Shifting awkwardly in his spot, he snapped his attention back to the screen when he heard his name. Tenten was looking at him curiously.

"Are you alright, Neji?" she asked. "Do you need me to go get you?"

"Get me…" he gulp as he registered that Tenten realized he was now drunk. "Nah… it's fine."

"Are you sure? How are you getting home?" the cheerleader asked.

"Lee's the only one not drinking, so he's been so kind as to-"

"Alright. He's taking you then." Tenten stated before he could drabble on.

"Tenten...I-" he started.

"Neji," she sighed. "I'm going to hang up before you say something you might regret."

And with that, the facetime ended. Neji stared at his phone as the screen went dark. He stood there for a good minute, his mind trying to process what happen within the last few minutes. Pocketing his phone, the track team captain walked back to the table where the rest of his team was seated, loudly chatting to each other. Rounding the table, he ignored the questions from his team and put a hand on Lee's shoulder. Bending down a bit, he whispered something in his ear.


	5. III-2

The best things in life are often waiting for you at the exit ramp of your comfort zone- Karen Salmansohn

Sleepless Night III-2

Rock Lee watched from the corner of his eye as his close friend stumbled with his seatbelt. It was sure a rare sight to see Hyuga Neji in such a vulnerable state. In fact, Lee savored these kinds of moments since Neji was so talkative. He could talk for big bunches of time when given the chance. A loud click was heard and the said Hyuga leaned back with a hefty sigh. Running a hand through his long bangs, he mumbled some curses at himself for not realizing how many beers he had drank. The bowl cut man smiled and turned on his head lights before pulling out of his parking spot. There were no cars on the road since it was close to two in the morning. Neji's mumbling had stopped which caused Lee to glance over at him. He's not asleep yet, he thought. The reflection of the passenger window showed the ivory eyes of the Hyuga boy shifting in and out of focus as the houses and trees passed by. His breath was visible on the glass as he breathed.

"So, is Hinata at home waiting up for you?"

Silence.

Lee cleared his throat, suddenly remembering that when Neji was drunk, he also only responded to loud noises as if they were at a normal decibel. So, he repeated himself at a louder volume. The man next to him shook his head; nobody was home waiting for him. The only one who was awake (last time they checked) was Tenten; the one who called him in the first place. His cousin was at her own mansion with his uncle and aunt. His condo was empty of anyone who could possibly be waiting for him. Bushy eyebrows pushed downward as Lee turned a corner. No, he didn't like that idea one bit.

"You should know by now… both you and Tenten, that there is no one at home. You two have known for years since my parents moved out to handle Uncle Hiashi's business overseas...leaving me here." Neji mumbled.

Yes, he remembered. Rock Lee had known Neji since middle school. They weren't that close, nor in any of the same classes, however they were both in many sports clubs together. It carried over into high school, where they had met Tenten; another person Lee had known for a while-however she had lived in the same apartment as him and had only seen him in passing. Almost instantly they had become that stereotypical trio of friends that were the main stars of a nineties sitcom. Tenten was the headstrong cheerleader who didn't fit in with any crowd and chose not to. And yet she had many admirers who follows her around for her sass and bold bravery. Neji has taken the role of the intellectual who had a gift for numbers and speech. He charmed many and was class president of each grade. Even with his smarts, he also held great physical strength that Lee had attempted to match ever since middle school. Then perhaps, Lee fit as the jock who was sort of every sports club and his name was known throughout the whole school. They were the "cool kids", he thought. Unintentional cool kids. Neither of them cared for such a title and never took heed in enforcing it. They were liked, and that was fine with them as long as no one interfered. And with that, Neji had grunted. There was a shift in high school that was noticed by everyone but Tenten. Neji had developed feeling for her. Not just feeling of a simple crush that would disappear in a matter of days ( He has tried very hard to not think of Tenten as anything more as a best friend) he realized that he was in love with her. His eyes would watch her as she smiled brightly at him and his thumb would rub against the lower part of her back whenever she'd hug him.

"It had to be fate that day… that you knew her and introduced me." Neji hummed as he closed his eyes. "I never thought I was capable of true love"

"My friend, true love is nothing but a fairy tail. Besides, you and Tenten argued frequently and had the most petty attitudes towards each other." Lee replied with a laugh.

No, there was no way in hell he was letting Neji stay home by himself if he admitted that it was true love. It went against everything the Hyuga believed in. He had to think quickly since the main intersection was five more long blocks down and they had all lived in three different directions. Lee wished he could take him back to his own apartment, however, he didn't think he wanted Neji to stay up and talk all night; he needed to shut down and rest. Making a right, Lee rolled into a side street. He'll have no choice, he thought. Tenten will have to take care of him. It was only right since-he smirked- Neji wouldn't stop mumbling about her. Perhaps it would be a good thing for them. And since he was pissed drunk, whatever the Hyuga would way to embarrass himself would be dismissed by the bunhead since she knew how trashed he was. After a moment, Neji opened his eyes. Squinting, he surveyed the area before looking over at his friend.

"This isn't my way home." The Hyuga grunted.

"I know. I cannot have you at home by yourself," Lee put his blinkers on as he stopped in front of a small two floor house. "And I cannot have you talking up a storm while I try to sleep."

"Lee, Tenten can't see me like-"

"You'll be fine. Besides, she already knows you're coming."

At this Neji sighed. Unbuckling his seatbelt, he got out the car and headed for her door. Okay, so maybe Lee lied. But it was so his friend was safe and with capable hands. He'd get the heat from Tenten later for sure, but he'll handle it. Neji raised his fist and knocked on the wooden door. After a few moments of shifting in his spot, the door opened a crack, paused, then opened fully. Tenten had a blanket around her shoulders as she rubbed her eyes. Was she sleeping? Had he woken her up? The Hyuga glanced back at the green car where Lee waved before turning off his blinker and driving off. A small moan reached his ears and caused him to turn around. Tenten was looking up at him curiously with big golden brown eyes. It happen slowly, but something clicked in his mind when Tenten asked him why he wasn't at home.

"Lee… he said…" the Hyuga sighed. "He said you knew I was coming."

Tenten blinked. Oh, Lee had dumped this responsibility onto her… pursing her lips together, she watched as he swayed on his feet. Shit...he was shit faced, she thought. Dealing with him might be troublesome.

"I'll find my way home if it's a bother…" Neji murmured a bit sadly sensing her hesitation.

Tenten shook her head. She grabbed his hand and led him to her kitchen where she put a large cup of water into his hands and demanded that he'd drink at least half of it before going to sleep. While he sat there with the water, she shuffled upstairs and rummaged through her drawers. He had left a pair of clothes here… a complete set. Where did she put it? Groaning, she went to her closet. There was a bag sitting on the floor of it and she pulled out some sweats. He usually slept topless, so this was enough. Now was the issue of where he was going to sleep. She wasn't going to cast him to her couch, not when the Hyuga always gives her his own bed whenever she ended up trashed in his doorstep. But then again, Neji had his own guest room to which he would take over whenever she'd take over his place. Well, she hummed. Her own bed was big enough for both of them, and it wouldn't be any different than sleeping with any of the girls. Besides, even trashed, she would keep his hands to himself… hopefully. Her footsteps were muffled as she went back down to the kitchen to find the Hyuga with his face in his hands, hunched over the counter. The water cup was completely empty...was he nauseous? Plasing the sweat pants on the island in the middle of the kitchen he walked over and put a hand gently on his back. Tenten pursed her lips together when he shook his head to her and moved away. Yes, he was going to puke. The chinese girl took his hand and slowly led him to the small half bathroom near her tiny living room. Neji kneeled before the porcelain toilet and gave a hefty sigh before disposing of the containments of his stomach. Her hands reached forward and grabbed his hair, bringing it away from his face, just as he had done for her numerous times before. After a moment, his up-chucking paused.

"Sorry about this." he breathed. "I tried not to go overboard with the drinks tonight."

"Don't worry about it. You were out with the boys, I wouldn't expect anything less than you coming home trashed." Tenten laughed softly.

Neji let out a groan and he slightly shook his head. Home, he thought. She opened his house to him as if it were his own home; he was forever grateful. His chin lifted a bit as he felt tenten tug on his long locks. Reaching his hand back, he ran his fingers along the high ponytail that she had styled for him. Then his stomach gave again and he hunched over the toilet bowl. Her hand was back in between his shoulder blades, rubbing his back in comfort. It was weird, he thought. The roles were switched around this time and he wasn't sure how he felt about Tenten taking care of him. He was happy, but at the same time he felt as though he was burdening her. Trying to stand, Neji fell back onto his knee with his head spinning. The cheerleader hummed as she pushed him back down. Announcing that she was going to make him some ginger tea, she stood and shuffled back into the kitchen. She turned on her burner to boil water and took out two mugs. Hopefully his stomach will hold this down and she wouldn't have to stay up making sure he doesn't choke on his own bile. A sigh left her lips as she heard the toilet flush and a cough. Reaching for some tea bags, she jumped a bit as she felt hands snake around her waist. His forehead collided with her neck as he leaned into her. Yep, she thought, absolutely trashed. He mumbled something inaudible to her ears as she patted his head. Touchy-Feely, she hummed. Neji was so touchy-feely with her whenever he was drunk. And it was only with her. Dropping the tea bags into the mugs, she served the tea and led him to her couch. She gently pushed him down and gave him the a mug. His eyes watched as she ran back upstairs and grabbed for some unknown reason. After a moment of listening to her shuffling about, he took a sip of his tea. Ginger and lemon graced his tongue to which he gave a pleasant sigh. The warmth of the ginger traveled down his throat and into his stomach with such ease, he was sure he wouldn't feel like shit when he woke up. Tenten ha finally come back down and sat herself next to him. She grabbed her mug of tea and shifted so her legs were resting on her best friend's lap.

"So, how was it?" Tenten asked after taking a sip.

"Just as you'd expect it to be with them," he murmured bringing his lips to the mug once more. "The food was actually pretty good and overall they all behaved."

"Oh, shocker." Tenten hummed.

Neji rolled his eyes. Yes, his team had a reputation at university parties to...get a bit reckless. He never really joined in unless Tenten was present with her cheer team. They would make some kind of agreement of who got to get trashed and who would be driving the other home. It was usually Tenten who would be found with bottles and grinning to some stranger from the division one basketball team, to which he would look about from a distance just in case. And if they decided to both get trashed, they'd have Lee drive them to whomever's house was available and it was usually Neji's.

"I was shocked that Sasuke went through your phone to call me," Tenten said carefully. "I was hoping to not bother you guys. That's why I texted Lee."

"You texting me is never a bother, Tenten." He breathed.

"You've...been avoiding me."

Neji's ivory eyes snapped to hers. With whatever focus he could muster up, he locked eyes with hers. Tenten blinked awkwardly as the Hyuga searched her face. After a moment he sighed and placed the mug on the coffee table. Bringing his hand to his face, he rubbed his eye.

"It's just… I've been…" he trailed off trying to find the right words.

"It's because of Sasuke isn't it?"

"Perhaps. I didn't expect that little announcement so… casually. Nor did I ever think it'd bother me like it did." He confessed putting a hand on her knee.

Tenten's eyebrows shot upward. It bothered him that she slept with Sasuke that much? Image if she were to get a boyfriend, would that cause him to separate himself from her? Was he really that selfish with it came to her? The cheerleader rested her hand on top of his.

"Neji, it was nothing. It meant nothing. We were drunk and in the spur of the moment." She stated firmly. "You're reading too much into it."

Neji sighed and leaned back against the couch. He was going to take her word for it like he always does. After they drowned the rest of their tea, she grabbed his sweats from the counter. Tenten led him upstairs to the bathroom and left him with a towel. She propped herself on the window side of her bed and waited for him. Neji was drying his hair as he entered her room. Upon seeing the space she had made for him on her bed, he paused.

"I could sleep on the couch." He offered. "I was the one who dropped in unexpected."

"Nah, it's fine. You're too trashed to handle the couch you might roll off." She grinned.

Neji rolled his eyes and draped the damp towel on her desk chair. The bed shifted as he settled on his back next to her. The clock on her wall read what he had thought said four am. Grunting, turned to his side where Tenten was on her phone with her bottom lip protruding.

"Are you not tired?" He asked quietly.

"Not really. You and Lee woke me up when I was finally getting ready to sleep. I'll be up for at least another hour." She replied.

The Hyuga hummed in response.

"But, I will lay down." She added putting her phone on her windowsill and shifting herself.

Neji stared wide eyed at her at his current situation. This was the first time he was sharing a bed with Tenten. His high school fantasies were coming true and he had no idea what to do to not make this moment super awkward. Her back was to him as she laid on her side, facing the window. He lifted his hand and reached for her, but he paused when she sneezed. Would… would it be weird? He had always wondered how she was able to fit so perfectly into the mold of his body, how she was so warm to the touch. But before he could talk himself out of it, a string had tugged his hand forward, and wrapped itself around her waist. Tenten didn't jump as she felt his arms snake around her, as if she was expecting it. And it didn't bother her. Her back collided with his chest and their legs tangled together. Neji's heart was beating fast, waiting for her to push him off or to verbally tell him to back up. But she didn't, so he held her close and closed his eyes. Not seeing the smile she had on her face.


	6. IV

There is no charm equal to tenderness of heart- Jane Austen

Sleepless Night IV

Sakura glanced at her nails. Her choice of nail color for the week was going to clash with the new dress she had bought for tomorrow's brunch. Luckily, Ino had large supply of various polished ranging from dark to pastel. The blonde herself was in the process of getting her long blonde hair braided by Tenten. Hinata was to join them once she finished in the shower. This was their monthly sleepover. At least once a month one of the girls would host the group. It was in effort to separate themselves from the tedious responsibilities of university and actually have some time to themselves… some "girl time" if you will. Ino huffed as she glanced at her phone.

"You know what I don't get," She grunted. "I don't get why some guys promise you the world, and then just drop off the face of the planet for weeks at a time."

Tenten rolled her eyes.

"Ino, Sai is an art major. What do you expect? Art takes time." Sakura stated.

"Says the Med student who we see every other weekend." The blonde side glanced at her. "And we're not supposed to see you all."

Sakura chuckled and picked up a mint green colored bottle. Yes, this color will do. The pink haired young adult began to paint her nails. Tenten tied off the French braid she mustered up and sighed. Out of all of them, Ino was the quickest to get into a relationship. Granted she tended to over react and jump (more like leap) to conclusions, but Sai was a patient man and for some reason he took her attitude insanely lightly. He was weird, they all agreed. Apparently, he was weird enough for Ino, though. Hinata strolled into the room in her matching blue pj set with a towel on her head.

"What's going on?" She asked sitting in Ino's bean bag chair.

"Ino's bitching about her man being productive" Tenten sighed.

Ino rolled her eyes and ran her fingers along the braid that Tenten had just tied off.

"Oh, Tenten. You didn't tell me what happen after my cousin was dumped at your place completely shit faced the other night." Hinata said.

Ino and Sakura looked at the bunhead curiously. It was nothing really, Tenten scratched the back of her neck. Lee didn't want to deal with him being completely shit faced, so he dragged him to her place from the track team get together. He ended up puking for most of the night along with apologizing for being such a bother to her. All she did was make him some tea and they ended up crashing in her room. The next morning, he was hangover enough to cause an impressive attitude, but it was nothing she couldn't handle. The bunhead and her Hyuga counterpart just remained inside all day and ended up going to classes together that Monday. Situations like this were super rare, in fact it was usually Tenten who got drunk and ended up staying with Neji- who had no choice but to deal with her horrendous attitude the next morning of cursing him out and hiding under the covers-especially since she was prone to migraines.

"I'm just surprised he kept apologizing for causing trouble," Tenten hummed. "It was no trouble at all though."

"Well, you know Drunk Neji is like the sweetest person in the world. Unlike his usual sober self." Ino shrugged.

"True, but do you think he was apologizing for that...or something else?" Sakura murmured.

The girls hummed in unison. Sometimes it's not was the Hyuga says out loud that's noticed, it's what he doesn't say that has a bigger effect. Tenten stretched her legs out in front of her. It was hard to think about since Neji was open to her about a lot of things. Sure, sometimes she had to dig a bit to get a straight answer from him, but usually he's quick to state his opinion.

"Well, what else happen?" Ino asked.

"Nothing...we ended up sharing a bed and passing out." Tenten stated nonchalantly.

"What? No hooking up? How boring." The blonde flicked her wrist.

Tenten chuckled. He was usually physical with her- in a gentle way-whenever he got drunk. It's not that she particularly minded that he got handsy, it was just that she was surprised that she liked it when he got handsy with her. His palms fit comfortably on her hips and his fingers gently grasped around her shoulders as he leaned in to whisper something to her. That was the other thing; he spoke in whispers to her. Whispers, growls-whatever the hell it was, her face heated up just thinking about it. Hooking up was never something they did. Neji wasn't the type to, she guessed. He never really showed any romantic interest to anyone (she was blinded by the fact that the Hyuga was showing incredibly obvious attention to her, to which she brushed off and blamed the alcohol). Perhaps she just wasn't his type. Even if she knew what his type was. At this, Hinata let out a scoff.

"You really don't know?" The Hyuga girl asked.

"Know what? His type?" Tenten rested her cheek in her palm. "I would think he'd be into shy, quiet girls with minimal personality qualities. Someone who doesn't venture too far from the nest type deal. The ideal housewife, even."

Hinata laughed which caused the three other girls to raise their eyebrows.

"Quite the opposite actually." She smiled as she removed the damp towel from her head.

"The opposite of that is," Sakura looked at the bunhead. "-you."

Tenten blinked and shook her head. Nah, there was no way. And if it was possible, the chances of it being her specifically were minimal. She was certain of it; after all, they were best friends. True, she had no idea what kind of girls he was into or what he liked in a partner, but to her defense she never thought to ask.

"So how about we ask him?" Ino chirped.

"Like… right now?" Tenten asked.

The blonde nodded and grabbed the bunhead's phone from her dresser. Tossing it over, she told the bunhead to call him. Tenten puffed up her cheeks. Why would she call him? She can ask him at anytime she wanted. Then again, it was his business and may choose not to talk about it. Sakura rolled her green eyes and told her friend that the worst the Hyuga can say is that he didn't want to talk about it. It's not like he was going to flip out on her or anything, he wasn't that type of person. Pressing in the Hyuga's number, she hummed.

Neji sat back in his desk chair. He was in the middle of a Skype call with the track team about setting up some fundraisers as well as pick a non-profit organization to donate to. It was tradition that once every two months each sports team did their donation polls and held meeting to find a good cause to bring forward. At the start of the semester, they had selected an organization that was associated with Kiba's family. The Inuzuka family was full of veterinarians and had some military ties. So, they raised money to a local shelter that made pet adoptions easy and affordable for returning Military Veterans. Right now, they are trying to find another charity that will donate all of the funds they give, not just half or less than half. It was hard, yes, but not impossible. They were able to narrow it down to two and just needed to pick one.

"I believe the Games for Kids will be the better choice," Shikamaru's voice sounded from his laptop. "All funds go to table games like dungeons and dragons and Go to help promote collaborative play as well as problem solving."

"I think the Senior home is a better idea," Kiba rang in. "They've been having some issues with getting funds from the city to renovate some of the homes. They could use the money to at least start making changes."

"I second with Shikamaru. The children would benefit more than the elders I feel. Just to renovate a building seems to be less of priority than education." Shino stated.

"The elders could use some new equipment to make them comfortable. Tons of people already donate to organizations involving kids. Elders now a days get no attention." Sasuke mused.

Neji let loose an audible sigh. They were getting nowhere with this. He was allowing them to debate with each other; really he didn't have an opinion since both options were acceptable. It was that his team that needed to agree with each other. Suddenly, his phone rang. Simple and Clean sounded form his phone as it vibrated next to his laptop. Looking at the caller ID, he cocked an eyebrow. Raising the phone to his ear, he waited.

"Hey, Neji. Are you busy?" Tenten's voice sounded from the other line.

"No… not exactly. What's wrong?" He mused.

"Oh, well. Nothing is really wrong-"

"Did you need me to do something for you?"

Tenten hummed in his ear.

"You can answer my question." She stated.

Neji grunted in an affirmative response.

"So…. I was wondering-" he could practically picture her twirling a lock of hair in between her fingers right now. "- what kind of girls are you into?"

The Hyuga blinked. That's what she wanted to know? He checked his caller ID again, just to make sure it was actually Tenten who was calling him and he didn't just imagine her calling him. But alas, the emojis he placed for her ID were present and it was indeed her. Scratching the back of his head, he felt a light blush creep up on his cheeks.

"Neji?"

"Why are you asking me this, Tenten?" He murmured.

"Oh...well. I was talking to the girls and we were trying to guess. But Hinata said all of our guesses were wrong so… I just decided to call and ask." She explained a bit hesitantly.

Hinata, he sucked his teeth. Of course she had something to do with it. His younger cousin knew from the start he fell in love with the bun head and he made her promise to keep her mouth shut about it. Sometimes, however, she'd play her little games with the girls by planting some personal information about him that left the girls questioning. But besides that, she did ask a valid question.

"Hm… what is my type of girl?" He hummed as he leaned back in his chair.

Well, obviously Tenten. However, there were key aspects that he found incredibly attractive that really anyone can have. Scratching the back of his head, Neji attempted to make a checklist in his mind before reciting it. He found confidence to be attractive. As well as the ability to argue a point of view affectively. The idea of challenging an opinion strongly showed him that there was a heavy belief in the opinion which put forward the trait of independence and independent thinking. But to compliment that, there needed to be the ability to be open minded. Trust as well was a huge trait, then again, that was a basic. Tenten hummed on the other line so he continued. Even though it was a pain at times, stubbornness was something he liked. With stubbornness came loyalty and a good sense of adventure. With adventure game the tiniest amount of childlike wonder. He also found romance to be more on the subtle side and wasn't one for flaunting it; he preferred a private form of displaying affection. But most importantly, he needed someone who stimulated his mind by keeping him guessing while at the same time was so easy to read. It was a contradiction, however it was possible.

"Wow. I only know one person who it's that category." Another voice sounded from Tenten's phone.

Neji's lips pursed together.

"You… have me on speaker, don't you?" He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

The girls laughed in greeting and told Neji to go back to whatever he was doing.

"Neji…"

"Yes?" He grunted.

"What did you mean by a private form of affection?" Tenten asked quietly.

Neji's face softened. He didn't mind holding hands or kissing in public, however he was a firm believer that whatever went on between them, stayed between them. The Hyuga also felt as if they were to treat each other as if they were they only people in the world who were meant for each other. He'd give his whole heart and attention to whoever he loved and would do everything in his power to make sure his significant other was appreciated and protected both sexually and emotionally. Why else would he waste his time and attention on others who don't fit into his idea of what he wanted as a partner? He had standards, and he only associated with people who fit into his standards whether it be as friends, or as a significant other. As for the latter, he only planned on being married once. If finding the right person took forever then so be it. It's better than being misleaded and manipulated for his family money and name.

"O-oh." Tenten's voice sounded.

"Was… that what you were looking for?" He asked.

"Yeah, I guess so. I'll let you go now then." She murmured.

"I'll text you in the morning." Neji stated.

"Good night, Neji."

The Hyuga wished his best friend good night before glancing at the phone in his hands. What an odd out of the blue question, he thought. He hoped he was able to relay his thoughts eloquently enough. There was a cough heard from his laptop. Shit, he clenched his jaw.

"So," Sasuke hummed. "I never took you as the Romantic type. You had us all hot and bothered over here with your talks of protection and loyalty, Hyuga."

There was a ripple of chuckles from the team.

Neji rolled his eyes and huffed. "Fuck off."

"I'm sure once he tells Tenten how he feels, he'll be less bitchy." Naruto chuckled.

"From the sound of it, I'm thinking she may like you back." Kiba stated.

"Well, why else would she ask what his type was? The girls play that shit all the time whenever they try to hook people up. It's troublesome." Shikamaru groaned.

Neji flares his nostrils. He doubted that was the case. She was with the girls after all, they probably got on the subject because someone was talking (complaining) about their significant other. Dismissing the thought, he told them to shut the fuck up and pick a damn charity so he could go to bed. And so, the arguing commenced.

Tenten's face was a bit heated as she placed her phone down next to her. She wasn't expecting him to be so thorough in his description. And she definitely wasn't expecting him to be into someone who was adventurous and yet stubborn as hell. Yet his response on a private romance was very appealing to her. It was almost too good to be true, she thought. There was no way Neji was the ideal boyfriend she had always wanted; well... that was a lie, but she meant that she didn't think it was possible for him to be her ideal type at first. But now... Everyone he didn't know got his cold shoulder and yet when it came to her-his best friend-she received the VIP treatment of having all his attention and whatever affection he would slip her; whether it was the smiles or rare hugs he would give her. Or the laughs and dinners he'd pay for. The. There was the touches and whispers from him being drunk. She sighed.

"In all honesty, if I didn't know you and you told me you weren't dating him, I'd definitely not believe you." Sakura stayed after a moment.

Tenten hummed.

"Yeah, he treats you and Hinata like damn princesses. I wonder how he would spoil his girlfriend." Ino grinned.

Hinata offered a small smile to Tenten. The Hyuga girl had made a huge promise to her older cousin to keep her lips sealed. Loyalty was a Hyuga family value, so of course she'd never break it. But she'd push as close to the line as possible without crossing it. She considered Tenten a best friend in her group. She knew Neji would be her number one but within the group of girls they had, Hinata was probably the closest to the Hua girl. And as a little sister type figure to Neji, she knew he'd pick Tenten over anyone anyday.

"Hinata, why don't you ask your cousin if he likes Tenten." Ino turned to the ravenette.

"Why?" The Hyuga girl blinked curiously.

"Well, why not? You are family and he's bound to tell you something." Sakura replied.

Hinata glanced over at Tenten. She sat there staring at the ceiling, looking a bit conflicted. She could only guess what was going through her mind right now. Tenten was very self critical. She probably already attempted to write herself off as not the ideal girl for Neji. Or was she trying to sort her own feelings out about if Neji liked her like that? Hinata won't be able to tell unless she asked, but she was not going to ask; it wasn't her place to.


	7. V

Sometimes a Cupid plays hard to catch, as he always has new couples to match-Ana Claudia Antunes

Sleepless Night V

Sasuke hummed as he looked through his syllabus. He's been keeping up with his work fairly well and kept himself organized pretty easily this year. Naruto-on the other hand-was a complete mess when it came to organizing himself. The Uchiha found himself reading over his best friend's papers and editing pretty much the entire paper. On the flip side, Naruto was great company to him. And even though the blonde got on his nerves, he could always count on the fool to be there for him. Then there was Neji. Oh, great Captain Hyuga Neji. Sasuke looked up to him, in a way. It was an odd relationship they had. They were like brothers in the fact that they were very similar in personality and how they viewed the world. They also bickered and three attitudes at each other. They were like friends in the fact that they enjoyed each other's company and found pleasantry in what made them so different. They were like rivals in the fact that Neji was superior to him in almost everything and Sasuke found that absolutely irritating. They were almost like strangers in the fact that they knew each other, but not well enough to completely accept or reject the other. An odd contradiction in itself, yet it was a comfortable arrangement they had. They were close, but not too close. Definitely not close as the Uchiha was to Naruto or the Hyuga was to Tenten. But they had some common grounds which out weighed the opposites. He supposed that's why they still hung around each other (along with the fact that they shared the same group of friends). The Hyuga who was only a year older than him was someone he couldn't quite figure out and he wasn't sure he wanted to. Out of most, the only people Sasuke went out of his was to talk to were Shikamaru, Naruto, and Neji. The others were just merely in their circle of friends of friends. For instance, Sakura was a friend of Tenten who the not-girlfriend of Neji who was friends with Shikamaru who then in return was friends with the Uchiha. Full circle it seemed, with some added branches of others. Shikamaru was someone Neji talked to a lot, the Uchiha mused. They had very similar ways of thinking too, but the Nara chose his battles and his activities and was less motivated than the rest of them. To that he digressed.

Sasuke leaned back in his desk chair. He had been scheming for a few days now. The team was very intrigued by the conversation that their captain had with their bunheaded cheerleader. It was out of the blue and enough for the boys to have a talk behind Neji's back about his situation. They've all known each other for years now, it was not secret anymore that Neji had a huge thing for Tenten. However, the Chinese girl never showed any interest in anybody. She was either really good at keeping her emotions to herself, or she just had no interest. The group had turned to the next best person they could ask about the situation. Rock Lee happily explained to them that Tenten was a bit oblivious when it came to people showing special attention or flirting with her. In high school, she unintentionally rejected many guys because she just didn't understand that they liked her like that. Then again, they were never specific enough in their feelings, so he could understand why she acted as she did. Did she go on dates? Well, he wouldn't call them "dates" per-say. They were pitched to her as casual "hang outs" where they just "chilled". The casual tone didn't really help even though both Rock Lee and Hyuga Neji knew that she was being asked on a date.

"Someone specific…" he hummed.

There is a good question to all of this; why was the Uchiha and other guys so involved in making this happen? Well, for one, they're tired of Neji being a stick in the mud. Perhaps when he finally gets with Tenten he'd chill out a bit. Another good reason is that Neji himself needed to get over whatever it was he had for her. If he got a rejection, he got a rejection and couldn't do much about it. If he didn't then it's a win-win situation. It also just bothered them to no end that they were framed as the perfect married couple to everyone and they weren't even together when they obviously had feelings for each other. But that was the challenge in it all right now. Helping Tenten sort herself out with her feelings. Sakura and Hinata has relayed some information to him and the boys when they had their girl brunch. Tenten apparently was looking for someone who wouldn't get in her way with whatever she wanted to do with herself. She wanted someone who could keep up with her mentally and in life. There was also the idea of a softer more intimate side. The pink haired med student told him that she was a bit stubborn with the rest of the questions. However, they worked with what they got. They were able to talk to her about dating, to which she isn't opposed to right now. So, this would be the time to push before the bun head decides to no even bother dating anymore. Sasuke felt that there should be some time of events, though. Something to show the Hyuga what happens if he waits too long. Shikamaru had admitted that he's been hanging out with Tenten a lot on campus lately. They've gotten lunch and did some work in the library together. Of course Neji would meet up with them whenever he could. This have the Uchiha an idea.

"I don't know, Sasuke." Shikamaru's voice sounded through his phone. "I don't feel like getting hunted by Neji."

"You won't. He definitely won't hunt you down. Especially if you can convince Tenten to agree to it." Sasuke hummed as he picked up a stuffed streaks ball and began to toss it about. "She'll be your saving grace."

A sigh escaped Shikamaru's throat. Of course she would be. However if she were to say no to him, there wouldn't be any doubt that she'd tell Neji that he approached her in the first place. Then, he'd have to be certain she'd say yes, was all Sasuke said before feeling his phone vibrate on his ear. Looking at his screen, he cocked an eyebrow. A text from Kiba:

To: Uchiha

From: Dog boy

Ino just told me that she's trying to have Tenten agree to go on a date with someone she picks. I'm not sure if she's into it. But, I directed Ino to you since we all are tying set something up ourselves.

Sasuke smirked. Ah, this was going all too well.

"Sasuke?" Shikamaru's voice sounded from the other line.

"Don't worry about it, Shikamaru. I have another call to make. I'll be sure she says yes." The Uchiha said before hanging up.

Ah yes, Ino Yamanaka. The blonde was the more romantically driven of the bunch as well as the most persuasive. Although Sasuke only knew her through her best friend Sakura, he was sure she'd make the perfect partner in crime. Glancing at the time, he guessed that she'd still be awake or at least just getting ready to go to bed. Going through his contact list, he found her name and hit the green button. It rang a few times before she actually answered. There was music playing in the background.

"Sasuke?" Her voice chirped. "To what do I owe this phone call?"

"I believe you and I have a similar situation currently." Sasuke replied nonchalantly.

"Oh? Do explain."

"I have a candidate for you to have as Tenten's date."

The blonde hummed curiously.

"I believe our good friend Shikamaru will be a good match for this."

Ino snorted. Shikamaru was the complete opposite of romantic. He was lazy and unmotivated when it came to things like relationships. Sasuke countered with the fact that if Shikamaru were to fuck up, Tenten would definitely tell the Hyuga and said Hyuga would no doubt, laugh in the Nara's face for screwing it up. The blonde hummed at this; Shikamaru was like a brother to her, which means she knew him insanely well. There are times where he'd get a bit competitive and actually put his foot into the ring if it meant with holding his sanity. Perhaps the Yamanaka could convince her dear friend Tenten to go forth and accept a date him. It should be easy enough since it was with someone they all knew and not some stranger Ino would have found.

"Wait a minute," the blonde murmured. "Why don't you ask her on a date, Sasuke?"

The Uchiha pursed his lips together.

"Well, I already slept with her. It wouldn't have any effect."

A gasped was heard from the other line. That's right, no one else knew besides for Neji that they had slept together. He only told the guys they hooked up, but never brought any details to the table, which let them to try and guess. Even when it was guessed correctly (Kiba actually took him aside and brought it up all serious like. Surprisingly, the Dog boy was right on the money), Sasuke would deny it to prevent any further discussion. He as sure that they assumed it was true that they had sex since he would deny any sexual act that was guessed (especially if it was past second base). They guys probably had kept any other assumptions to themselves to prevent any misinformation or aggravation. However, a common understanding was to keep the topic away from their track team captain. Lord knows the Uchiha would be six feet under. Before Ino could further go into the topic of him sleeping with her friend, he dismissed the topic. He had already gone far past the line he and Tenten set about telling the group.

There was a knock on the Uchiha's door. Sasuke excused himself and pulled his phone away from his ear. His older brother stood at the doorway wearing pajama pants and a t-shirt. Rubbing his eyes, he asked his younger sibling why he was still awake and had his lamp and ceiling light on. Sasuke simply explained he was working on a project and needed to concentrate. At this Itachi rolled his eyes and told him to keep his voice down before shuffling back to his own room with a grunt.

"Sorry about that," Sasuke pulled the phone back to his ear. "So, what do you say? Care to play my game, Ino?"

The blonde hummed softly to herself.

"Very well, Sasuke. I will play your game."

Sasuke smirked to himself before hanging up. He pulled up his Nara friend's number and sent him a text.

To: Nara  
From: Uchiha

"I have secured your success. I certain best friend of yours is now by my side."

Within minutes he got a reply.

To:Uchiha  
From: Nara

"Eh, screw it all… it's so troublesome. But I'll talk to her in the morning then. Later."

And with that Sasuke places his phone on its charging mount, turned off his ceiling light and sat on his bed.

Ino purses her lips together as she looked at her phone. How was she going to persuade Tenten to go out with someone? She needed to be open to the idea first. Oblivious is what the Hua girl was and Ino would find herself groaning in aggravation whenever her friend would not acknowledge any romantic signs from another. There's no way in hell she was that dense, but one couldn't be too sure if Tenten was able to be so observant. But the blonde Psychology major guessed that Tenten had her own standards on what romance was and whatever she was approached with was merely casual to her, which is why she never acknowledged anyone's feelings when approached. It was a common thing, Ino pondered. Looking at her screen, she hummed.

To: BunBuns  
From: Flower girl.

"I think you should start casually dating."

It didn't take long for Tenten to reply.

To:Flower girl  
From: BunBuns

"Ugh, not this again. I'm not interested in dating strangers."

To: BunBuns  
From: Flower girl

"What if I found you someone you know who was willing to go on a date with you?"

To: Flower girl  
From: BunBuns

"Then I suppose I'd be okay. I'd rather not end a date with a body going missing or dismantled."

Ino cocked an eyebrow, but dismissed the comment; her friend has been watching too many movies lately.

To: BunBuns  
From: Flower girl

"He'll talk to you tomorrow on campus then. Tell me everything afterwards <3"

The blonde quickly switched to another contact. She was sure Sasuke had gotten to Shikamaru already, but she wanted to be sure that he understood what he needed to do.

To: Lazy Butt  
From: Flower girl

"Hey, I'm sure Sasuke already talked to you but can you at least make an attempt to show Tenten a good time? She's never been on a real date and we're counting on you."

Three dots appeared on her screen.

To: Flower girl  
From: Lazy Butt

"I know, I know. I already started thinking about what we are gonna do. Don't worry about it. I won't screw up. I was gonna ask her out tomorrow on campus. Now leave me alone- you pain in my ass."

Ino grinned at her screen. Yes, she thought. They had chosen wisely. Throwing her phone on her desk (that's across the room), she laid back in her bean bag chair and looked out her window. The dead of night the best time to do the most deepest of thinking.


	8. VI

Nothing defines humans better than their willingness to do irrational things in the pursuit of phenomenally unlikely payoffs. This is the principle behind lotteries, dating, and religion  
. - Scott Adams

Sleepless Night VI

Tenten rummaged through her closet. She was trying to pick out something to wear for her date tonight. Nothing incredibly fancy, she thought. But not too casual either. She really should've asked Ino to come over to help her out. A groan escaped the bunhead's lips as she pushed hangers on the closet bar. A dress? Surely that'd be alright. Tenten owned maybe like five dresses that she never really wore out unless she was invited to one of Neji's family dinner parties. Shaking her head, she went over to her dresser. Maybe a pair of skinny jeans and a cute top? That was her typical party outfit and was more comfortable. Glancing at the clock, she hummed. She had until eight...and it was six at the moment. Tenten had time, she even showered once she got home from cheer practice. There was a sudden knock on her door.

"Tenten?"

"Yeah?" She replied nonchalantly.

Shin-Ten walked into her room in a pair of sweats and a T-shirt. He had two mugs in his hands as he stepped into her room. Placing one of the mugs on her desk, he sat himself in her desk chair and asked what she was up to.

"I've got a date tonight," Tenten explained still pulling things from her dresser. "I'm having trouble picking out what to wear."

"Oh? Since when did you go out on dates?" Shin-Ten cocked an eyebrow as he sipped from his mug.

Tenten shrugged at her older brother. Shikamaru had approached her at the beginning of the week about a date. He met her in front of her Stats class and just asked her out. At this, Shin-Ten blinked. Shikamaru Nara...That's who she going out with? Another shrug came from the younger Hua. Ino said that it would be s good idea for her to at least go on a date with someone once in a while to spice up her life. Tenten guessed that the blonde had talked to Shikamaru since she knew him and didn't want to go on some blind date with a stranger. She hadn't considered it at first, but the Yamanaka's constant pestering made her give in. Tenten paused and walked to her desk. The mug her brother had brought was filled with Oolong tea.

"I could tell that Shikamaru was doing Ino a favor in asking me out… so saying yes to him just to get her off my back was my only option."

"I guess that makes sense…" Shin-ten mused.

"I know it's…weird-don't give me that look, Shin-Shikamaru is a nice guy. We get along and hang out a lot anyway. It won't be so bad." Tenten murmured.

The older brunette leaned back in the desk chair and crossed his arms over his chest. His baby sister is going on a date with someone who her friend bothered to ask? It didn't seem like a major thing and he didn't understand why she'd just say no and be as she was; not worrying about Ino's pestering. Perhaps his sister actually wanted to go on an actual date and not just hang out with someone. She hasn't done much romantically (to his knowledge) with anyone and for a while he was beginning to wonder if she even had interest in men. But he'd seen the way that she acted around Hyuga Neji, and his suspicions of the two of them dating were almost confirmed if it wasn't for that fact that his sister was so damn oblivious of other flirting with her.

"Wear that high waisted skirt that Auntie got you for your birthday," Shin sighed. "And that red crop top with the long sleeves."

Tenten hummed as she pulled out those items. It was a white knitted skirt that went down to her just below her knees. It was comfortable and long enough where she didn't need to wear shorts under like she'd usually do for her dresses. The red crop top had a keyhole in the front, showing a tiny bit of collarbone. Sure, this will do. Her brother turned his head as she began to strip down of her tank top and shorts.

"Mmmm," Tenten hummed as she looked down at herself. "I like it. Not bad, Shin."

"Wear the black heels with the red bottoms too. I spent a fortune on those for you. You're gonna damn well wear them." The older Hua groaned.

Tenten grinned brightly and kissed her brother's cheek. Yes, he bought her expensive red bottom stilettos for her birthday and she would keep them in the box until she was ready to wear them. Those shoes have only seen the light of day three times since she had obtained them; and that was because they were too perfect to mess up. She did wear them around the house to break them in, but they rarely went past the front door. Yes, her older brother spoils the ever living hell out of her and she is forever grateful of him.

"I'm surprised Neji didn't ask you out." Shin said after a moment of Tenten looking at herself in the mirror.

"Hm? Why would he?" The bun head asked curiously as she smoothed out her skirt.

Shin-Ten pursed his lips together. Oh yes, oblivious indeed.

"You two always go out for dinner anyway. Aren't those dates too?" Her brother pushed.

"Not really. We're just friends and he didn't say they were dates." She mused reaching for her makeup bag.

At this, her older brother rolled his light golden eyes and shook his head. He liked the Hyuga kid. He was very respectful to Tenten and knew how to hold his ground. Shin and their father were very fond of Neji when Tenten brought him and Lee home for the first time. Now, the Hyuga is able to stay and go as he pleases; especially with him living alone (their mother wasn't a fan of the idea leaving a young adult alone to fend for himself, but then again, at the time she didn't know Neji was wealthy and wasn't much of a party animal). Shin watched as Tenten applied a simple winged liner and mascara combo. She drew in her eyebrows and looked at herself for a moment. Simple, she thought. The bun head smiled at her brother as she reached for her mug and took a sip of her still warm tea.

They were already downstairs when there was a soft knock on the door. Shin-Ten moved to open it and was met by Shikamaru Nara. The genius kid wore a grey button down and a sweater, good dark blue jeans and cleaned sneakers. His hair was down from his usual ponytail and tucked behind his pierced ears. In his hands were a bundle of flowers.

"Wow, you clean up nicely, Nara." Shin-Ten hummed.

"Thanks. Is she ready?" Shikamaru asked.

Shin-Ten nodded and moved aside to let him in. Shikamaru inhaled sharply as Tenten walked over to him in a curve-hugging white skirt and stilettos. His cheeks warmed up a bit as she smiled at him. Make up… he had never seen her dressed up before; was this what the Hyuga saw whenever he'd take her to dinners? Probably not. He greeted her with an awkward side hug and handed her the flowers (courtesy of Ino's family flower shop). Tenten smiled, her ruby colored lips were fuller than he ever realized and her eyes were more of a golden hue than a chocolate brown color. Shin asked him what the plan was for the night.

"Go down by the pier and walk around a bit. There's usually some things to do over there now that they put in the new mall and arcades. And we're gonna catch some dinner...probably head to a bar or something, Nothing major." The Nara shrugged.

A simple date, Shin side glanced at Shikamaru. Tenten grabbed her purse and jacket before saying goodbye to her brother and walking out toward Shikamaru's car. Shin-Ten watched as they drove away. Closing the door, the older Hua sat himself on the couch and wrapped himself in the comforter that they kept there. He flipped on the tv and sighed. They'll be fine, he thought as she leaned back against the cushions. His sister was twenty-one now, she could handle herself. He just hoped that she wouldn't get bored of the date.

Tenten hummed as she clicked in her seat belt. Glancing over at the younger man next to her, she let out a small breath through her nose. Shikamaru wasn't one she every considered to take time to dress up (or let his hair down for that matter). He looked handsome, for sure and he didn't have a cigarette perched behind his ear like he usually did. He didn't shave, although he never had much facial hair anyway. Tenten wasn't opposed to it, it made Shikamaru look a bit older than he was.

"I know this is a bit… odd." The Nara spoke after a moment.

"Hm?" The bun head tilted her head to the side.

"But I though since Ino had complained to me nonstop about your nonexistent dating life, I'd take you out on your first date myself."

Tenten grinned. Yes, Ino had definitely pushed her into this, but she was happy that it was Shikamaru and not some stranger. They drove for another half hour, talking about school and their friends; whatever drama that had transpired within the past week or so. She laughed at his sarcasm to which he let loose a small smile. He and Tenten had more in common than he initially thought. It was strange seeing her dressed up like this. She was definitely more of a casual, sporty person. She didn't fit into the stereotype of the "ideal cheerleader". She had a colorful vocabulary and high confidence (however not arrogant like her Hyuga counterpart). She challenged everything he said and could hold up a great argument. Overall, Shikamaru wasn't too sure why Tenten hadn't dated at all. He remembered that Lee would try to introduce her to different people however she would show no interest. Neji was no help either, he always gave whoever approached his best friend a dirty look, scaring them away. Shikamaru pursed his lips together. If Neji found out about this, he'd be banished to the shadow realm.

"I hope you're comfortable walking in those shoes." He stayed as he whipped his car into a parking spot.

"Yeah I'll be fine. I brought flip flops just in case too." Tenten replied.

"Ah, alright...cool."

The pair walked along the pier. The lights from the many restaurants and shops illuminated the water below them. They peeked into the many bars and hang out spots, trying to decide which place they would park themselves for a bit to grab a drink and some food. As they walked, Shikamaru noticed the attention of some people passing by shifting to them. Well, not "them" but "her". Tenten was attracting the eyes of many as they trekked about. It was rather troublesome, he thought. He wasn't sure he appreciated the attention she was getting especially since the bun head hadn't noticed it herself. He understood now why Neji was always close to her side. Tenten wasn't insanely gorgeous like Ino or have that timid cuteness like Hinata. She had an exotic feel to her thanks to her large brown eyes and naturally tan skin. Without makeup, the bunhead radiated with natural beauty, the sun intensified the gold in her eyes and smile. Makeup on her, to the Nara, was unnecessary. However, Tenten did partake in the occasional winged liner and mascara which just intensified her puppy dog eyes whenever she pouted. It was just, odd. He guessed all she put on was eyeshadow and lipstick based on the fact that he could still see her freckles. In a way, she was his type. Shikamaru liked that about her as well as her personality. Tenten also had a great sense of style, it was comfort street fashion. But tonight she went chic with her high waisted skirt and crop top. Her legs were muscular and long and her hips were wide. Even with her wide hips she had a tiny waist. Seeing her in such an outfit had definitely caught him off guard. Sure, he's seen her in her cheer uniform, however that was a whole different matter. They were actually alone on a date that they chose to go on together. She could've easily went against Ino's persuasion (or nagging on his part) and flat out rejected him. But she didn't and she rolled up looking like something straight out of a Japanese Vogue. He was seeing her in a totally different light and he was pretty sure he found this side of her to be attractive; not that he hadn't already before this (Shikamaru was digging himself into a whole in his mind for thinking of his good friend in this way). Wait, he pursed his lips together. Everything he's seeing now… this is what Neji sees times ten. The Hyuga embraced every aspect of her and fell for all of it.

"See anything you'd like to eat, Shikamaru?"

The Nara blinked. Inhaling his eyebrows went south; she had caught him staring at her. Shrugging his shoulders, he told her to pick whatever interest her and not to worry about the price. He'd fit the bill. Tenten stopped in her tracks and looked back. There was a hot pot bar they had past that she wanted to check out.

"Hot pot? Are you sure?" Shikamaru asked, his eyebrow raised.

"Sure, it's all you can eat and we can get a private booth." Tenten suggested.

Shikamaru eyed her for a moment. There were plenty if nicer restraints on the pier she could've chose from. She was a woman of simple and practical taste, he concluded. She didn't seem to care about how expensive something was-only what she can get out of it. Turning back they walked to the hot pot bar. It was busy, however they only had to wait ten minutes before being seated. Tenten flipped open the menu and hummed. She wasn't picky about meats, but she wanted to get a few veggies to balance it out. Shikamaru couldn't help but smile a bit as she looked at the specialty cocktails. That was something they had in common; drinking. Tenten was a hardy drinker and held her liquor insanely well. At every party they were the last ones to be trashed even if they started drinking at the same time as everyone else. She wasn't a fan of beer, in fact the only beer she liked was Sapporo. And she didn't like Vodka unless it was mixed with something else. Shikamaru caught himself and returned his smile to a stoic expression. Not too soon after, a waiter came about and asked them their orders.

"I'll have the Curry soup base and a Midori Sour please." Tenten smiled up at the waiter.

Shikamaru's mouth twitched as he watched the waiter return the bright smile and swallow. And just like that, the guy was charmed by her...a smile and manners. The Nara himself ordered a Chinese Herbal soup base and some hot sake. They didn't wait long before the soup bases and drinks were brought and the ordered their meats, noodles and veggies. Tenten started to sip at her cocktail as she watched the soup base simmer. Shikamaru wasn't too sure what to say. How troublesome, he thought. Every other time he was able to strike up a conversation with her about anything and everything. But now, with them alone, sitting and on and actual date, no words came to his genius mind. And yet, she seemed comfortable with the silence. He figured after years of being around Hyuga Neji, silence was a good thing. Sometimes he'd see them just sitting next to each other in complete silence. It was not tense or awkward. They truly enjoyed each other's company without verbally communicating with each other. He supposed he liked that as well. However, he needed to have his focus on something...like the clouds. It's where he did his best thinking or he'd just do it to clear his ever so busy calculating mind.

"I...know this is a bit odd."

Shikamaru hummed. "What?"

Tenten's right hand lightly grasped onto her left bicep; it was a mannerism if hers that meant many things.

"This whole date thing," She elaborated. "I've never been on one officially. Getting dressed up like this and all."

"Well, that's why I'm here. To do you that favor of breaking you into it." Shikamaru stated nonchalantly.

"I'm honestly not sure how I'm supposed to act." Tenten admitted sheepishly.

Shikamaru rested his cheek in his palm as he leaned his elbow on the table.

"Don't change a thing. Be just as you are, Tenten." He murmured. "It's the most attractive thing you can do."

At this the bun head gave him a sweet smile with a hint of a blush on her cheeks. Had he crossed the line a bit with flirting with her? Well, not really. It was a date anyway, why wouldn't he flirt with her?

"It's funny actually," she said. "Neji told me something similar a long time ago."

Ah yes, here was his window of opportunity to bring the Hyuga into the conversation.

"Well, you know he cares for you immensely, right?"

The bun head nodded. "Of course, we're best friends."

Shikamaru sighed and leaned back. He could throw his friend under the bus and just straight out tell her that her best friend had been in love with her since high school, but he didn't feel like having to answer any questions as to how he knew and why would the Hyuga ever like her more than a friend. That's a conversation that Shikamaru did not want to be involved in. However, that doesn't mean he wouldn't hint at it.

"Tenten, let me ask you something," The Nara brought his saucer to his lips. "Have you ever thought of Neji as anything other than a friend?"

Tenten blinked. As she thought, her bottom lip was captured by her teeth. He treated her like a princess without being overbearing. He gave her space and kept her company at the same time. Neji was always there whoever she needed him and vise versa; They've been glued together since their teenage years. And for all she knew, he had always been a bit nicer to her than everyone else.

"Have you noticed," Shikamaru met her eye. "That he only smiles when he's around you."

"I...what?"

Has he only smiled around her? She never paid attention to that. Smirking didn't count, he smirked at everyone. A genuine smile or grin though… she can't say she's noticed it. Shikamaru let out his own smirk. Yes, this was working, he thought. The Nara held out his hand to her. Tenten slowly laid her palm on his.

"When his skin touches yours, does your face get hot?"

Shikamaru's fingers tangled with hers as he kept eye contact with her.

"Whenever he looks you in the eye, does your chest begin to pound harder and louder in your ears?"

He lifted her hand to his lips and pecked her knuckles. Tenten's face was completely red at the action, but made no move to pull his hand away. It was ballsy of Shikamaru, but if he could prime her for future encounters with the Hyuga, she'd be able to recognize signs he sends her. But for the moment, until that time came around, the Nara decided to woo her in anyway he can.

"Shika-"

"Your face is red. Are you alright?" He asked releasing her hand.

Of course he knew why she was blushing. But it was socially polite to ask. Tenten nodded as she pulled her hand back. Within a few more seconds, the assortment of various foods they ordered arrived. Shikamaru watched as his date shamelessly stuffed her face to her heart's content, not getting any sauce or soup on her outfit. He was impressed actually. On most dates he's been on, they'd be very careful and chose to eat foods that weren't messy. And yet here they were, at a hot pot joint. After they ate their fill, they both leaned back in their seats and slipped on their drinks.

"Ah," Tenten sighed happily. "Haven't don't that in a while…"

Shikamaru chuckled. "Indeed. Good call on hot pot."

Tenten beamed. Shikamaru's eyes fixated on a crimson smudge on the side of her mouth. Her lipstick was practically gone, but there was still remains of it. Picking up a clean napkin, he reached over and told her to hold still. His other hand gentle cupped her cheek as he wiped away the smudge. When he pulled away, Tenten reached for her purse and pulled out a small compact mirror and a lipstick tube. After paying, Tenten opted for grabbing a few pastries and finding a bench to sit at. As they left, Shikamaru offered her his sweater to which she accepted and draped around her shoulders. They walked a bit toward the dessert cafes, peaking in and seeing if anything was acceptable for an after hotpot treat.

"Tenten."

The bunhead looked over at her date. Shikamaru was holding his hand out to her once more. Curious, she laid her hand to his. His fingers curled around her hand and he led her down the pier. Holding hands, he mused. It was a simple gesture-one he wasn't sure she'd accept. However she did not pull away nor comment on it. Her fingers were long and slim. Tenten had what most considered to be "piano hands". Her palm was bigger than most women on average and her fingers would have ranged from a ring size four to five. His own hands were average sized for a man, a bit bigger than hers. His fingers were wider though, and his skin was a bit rough. Hers was soft and warm to the touch with with occasional callous which came with being a cheerleader. They had found a doughnut place. Tenten ordered half a dozen glazed for them to share with some coffee. Searching for a bench was pretty easy. The pier branched outward towards the bay which held many benches with couples and the occasional fisherman. Sitting themselves down, they munched on their after dinner snack and looked out into the water. Shikamaru was looking down into the water, the waves crashing against the piers pillars gently. The sound of the rustling waves were soothing. After a moment, he glanced over at her. Tenten's eyes were directed at the night sky. The lights from the shops weren't bright enough to wash out the stars. Her expression showed pure contentment as her eyes grazed along the millions of lights in the dark sky.

"What do you like most, Shikamaru?" She didn't look at him. "The sky or the water?"

The Nara hummed. It depended on the time of day, he explained. During the day he'd find himself staring up into the clouds as they floated by. Even on an overcast day he'd still find a spot and just stare until rain or snow fell from them. The clouds were free, they just floated along without any worries. At night, he's find himself looking towards the water, it's sound and eternal rippling put his mind at ease.

"I'm guessing you prefer the sky?" The Nara shot back at her.

"Yes. The stars are what attract my attention." She murmured.

Tenten went on to explain that she had been fascinated by the night sky and space every since she was a child. This printed her to study astronomy which then lead to astrology. The study of stars and planets made her feel small at first; humans usually don't realize that they are nothing but tiny particles compared to what was out their; out of their immediate line of site. In a way it made her feel insignificant to the fact that there were more interesting things out there that have yet to be discovered by mankind. As for astrology, she already had a hand of many versions of fortune telling, so it was only right for her to learn to read the stars.

"Do you actually believe in any of that stuff?" Shikamaru asked.

"In a way yes, but one must account for individual variation." Tenten offered a small smiled. "They're not strict guidelines, just general similarities of people born in a certain time frame together."

"Enlighten me." Shikamaru crossed his arms over his chest casually.

Tenten bit her lip.

"Your birthday is September 22nd. You were born one the very last day under the sign Virgo. You tend to come off as cold and insensitive but…" she grinned at him. "You're a giant sweetie on the inside to those you're close to."

Shikamaru smirked a bit.

"You think logically and practically in all aspects of life which means you have a high chance of being successful. Although you tend to be a bit uptight and need to go out once in a while to splurge on yourself." She continued.

The Nara hummed. He supposed he fit into that general description. But it was as Tenten said before; it was only general and there was the factor of individual variatiation.

"Compatibility wise to me… we're…" She looked up at the sky. "Let's see. You're an earth sign and I'm a water sign…"

Shikamaru cocked an eyebrow as she brought her thoughts together.

"Ah," she chuckled. "We'd be the best example of opposites attract."

"Would we? What's your general definition?"

Tenten grinned. Her birthday was March 9th which put her under the sign of Pisces. She was able to adapt emotionally to any environment however she supposedly excelled at keeping her emotions under control. But at the same time, she was impulsive when it came to relationships, romantic or platonic. Her sign was deemed to be very creative and was easily bored depending on the situation.

"I see." Shikamaru mused.

"Of course there's more to it… but I don't think I fall into most of the description of my sign." She stated.

"Understandable. And Hyuga?"

Tenten hummed as she racked through her brain.

"Let's see… Neji's birthday is July 3rd which makes him a Cancer (A/N: thanks 8ouji-Rui for catching that! Ever Since they added the new sign everything has been a bit out of wack so I went with the new calendar. I have changed it back to the original...well more familiar calendar!) ; also a water sign. They're intellectually gifted and are very well informed- as they try to gather intel as much as possible to adapt to any situation. Apparently they're not the most emotionally stable and can be very moody. They are fast thinkers and can be very ambitious-within reason." She crossed her legs. "Relationship wise, there's a lot of mixed signals that are unclear and need to be straightened out. But, overall they are the most caring and loving people. They are also overachievers and then to be great at business."

Shikamaru let a chuckle. Yes, that sounded like Neji.

"And what would be your compatibility with him?"

"Romantically?" Tenten tilted her head to the side.

"Yeah. You've never thought about it?" Shikamaru raised an eyebrow.

"I mean, I have… but I never looked into it in depth." She murmured.

"We got all night." The Nara winked at her. "Besides, I like the fact that you show passion towards this stuff."

Tenten chuckled and thought about it. Water signs were greatly compatible across the board due to the similar element; They balanced each other out. But when it came to their specific signs, Pisces was more emotionally driven with relationships than a Cancer (they were more "realistic" and practical due to their high intellect). Although, if the Cancer can work on their communication and take into account the feelings of a Pisces, it could work out. It was just tapping into each other on an emotional level. Neji wasn't much of an emotional person. He did have that mean arrogant phase in high school when his parents decided to leave him behind as they fully weaved into his family's business. He was left alone and just overall angry at the world. Somehow, Tenten was able to reach him emotionally during that time. He wasn't mean to her and countered her impulsive motives with logic and practicality. They balanced each other out so perfectly it had completely flown over her head to actually do a compatibility measure like she was now. When drunk, he'd become more extroverted with her and apologize for being a wreck and tell her how much he appreciated her. And she, in return gave challenged him to communicate effectively and pushed him to make more impulsive choices based on pure emotion and intuition.

"Oh…" Tenten looked towards the water.

Shikamaru smirked as he saw a light bulb go off. Yes, he thought. She needed someone to help her see it.

"You know," he stretched his arm and draped it around her shoulders. "If we were together, we would grow tired of each other. Perhaps staying as friends is best for us. Besides, just based on what you said; you'd be a better match for Hyuga anyway. And I don't like competition."

Tenten's eyes went wide before she let out a laugh. They sat there at their bench for a few more moments before deciding to head back to the car. They walked back along the lines of shops. The pair was still holding hands as they walked in a comfortable silence. People still walked in and out of bars and restaurants, either holding hands or hanging off of their party mates. Halfway down the pier, Shikamaru pulled out his phone for the first time that night. It was almost two in the morning and he had multiple messages from group chats and Ino (which he ignored for the moment). The Nara hadn't realized they had been out all night. It had gone so quickly, he thought.

"Hey." He stopped walking. "Go stand over there."

Tenten was about to ask why but she paused when she noticed Shikamaru hold his phone at eye level for a picture. The bunhead stood, with his sweater still draped around her shoulders and offered his phone a bright smile. Shikamaru gave her a thumbs up and looked at the photo. It was a great shot, he thought. The bars and shops were lit up in the background and she was in crystal clear focus.

"Very nice. You're quite photogenic." He commented.

"I guess. I tend to make weird faces on purpose sometimes." Tenten chuckled.

The ride back was again silent between them, with the radio playing. Only party mixes were blasting from one station to the other, which wasn't too bad, however neither of them were in the mood for party music. When they reached her house, Shikamaru put his car in park and walked her to the door. Tenten turned and handed his sweater back to him. She thanked him for a great date and planted a soft kiss in his cheek. The Nara smiled softly as he reached for her hand and kissed her knuckles once more; he was just pleased that she agreed to go with him in the first place. He stalked back to his car and waited, making sure she found her keys and got past her front door before driving off with a small smile on his face.

Tenten took off her heels and wiggles her toes as her feet made contact with the floor. She inhaled then exhaled. The Chinese woman quietly dragged herself upstairs where she quickly removed her makeup and showered. She chose an oversized t-shirt and shorts as pajamas and geeked back downstairs to the living room, where she found her older brother asleep on the couch. Removing the PlayStation remote from his chest, she placed it on the coffee table and brought the blanket that was dangling off the couch to his chest. Deciding to make some tea, she headed up some water and brought the mug upstairs to her room. Settling self into bed. She looked at her phone for the first time that night. The screen showed an insane amount of messages from her friends asking about her date and what was going on. Neji had even messaged her, asking what she was up to; but that was over four hours ago. Tossing her phone into her desk, she sipped at her tea. She'd like to go on another date. The intimacy of a date was something she found to be very favorable, even though it was with Shikamaru (a friend she was already comfortable being around and talking to). Though, one thing stuck to her mind even after she finished off her tea and set the mug in her windowsill. Shikamaru had mentioned that Neji never smiled unless she was around. She'd have to pay more attention to that, Tenten thought. There had to be a reason why Shikamaru was telling her this.


	9. VII

My best friend is the man who in wishing me well, wishes it for my sake - Aristotle

Sleepless Night VII

Shikamaru hummed as he sat back on the couch. Currently, he was staying with Ino while his house was under renovation. His mom wanted to redo the flooring and add some central heating to the house so they could stop using the space heaters. The Yamanakas gladly allowed Shikamaru to stay with them, since his parents have been friends with them since forever. The lazy young adult flipped through his pictures. He had posted the photo he took of Tenten during their date on SnapChat and Facebook. Needless to say, he had gotten a bunch of mixed reactions from it. His immediate friend group (the track team minus Neji) gave positive feedback and applauded him for going out on a date with the bunhead; not to mention they tagged said cheerleader with comments regarding how beautiful she looked. For everyone else, they were more surprised than mad about his choice of date. Ino and Sasuke has approached him the Monday of the following weekend and showed their praise. Which resulted in an eye roll as a response. Besides for the one picture, there were other selfies taken that night between eating and sitting at the pier that he did not share with everyone; he had decided to keep those private. Tenten, on the other hand, had posted a full body outfit photo on her Instagram before even leaving the house for their date which had gotten quite a lot of hits-Hyuga Neji being one of the people to like the photo however not comment- as well as on her SnapChat with a caption of "An outfit so dope even Ino would be proud". The Nara smirked when he saw the snap when he had gotten home. Within the team chat he received many questions about the date. He answered every single one truthfully; Yes, Tenten picked the meal. Yes, he couldn't help but check her out a bit. No, they did not kiss. No, they did not have sex afterwards. And yes, he would take her out again. Needless to say, the Hyuga hadn't approached him at all today on campus. Even if Tenten had met up with him during their common hours with him right behind her, Neji did not mention the date or chose to acknowledge it. Shikamaru didn't sense any bitterness or anger from his team captain. It was more confusion and hesitation. The Nara couldn't blame him, though. It was completely out of the blue.

"Mom made some pudding if you want." Ino settled a bowl on the coffee table before them.

"Thank you." The Nara replied not looking up from his phone.

Ino sat beside him and looked over his shoulder.

"I'm happy you guys had a great time. Tenten told he she appreciated that you were the one I asked to take her out on a date," the blonde stated as she grinned. "There was a lot of positive feedback."

"Yeah… it wasn't too troublesome. I enjoyed it as well. She's not that hard to please."

Shikamaru's fingers brushed against the spot on his cheek where Tenten had kissed him. He wasn't too sure how he felt about it but he couldn't really stop thinking about it the whole weekend. They were friends; good friends. He had convinced himself it was just a friendly gesture like how most girls kiss each other on the cheek in greeting or parting in other cultures. And yet, here he was… still thinking about it. Her lips were incredibly soft and full...his face started tingling just recalling that moment.

"Had Neji said anything to you?" His best friend asked.

"No, he hasn't. And I'm not sure why."

"Maybe he's spoken to Tenten already?" Ino pondered.

"Possibly. However, I don't think he went full interrogation on her."

Ino hummed and pulled her phone out of her shirt. She dialed Tenten's number and told Shikamaru to keep his mouth shut. It rang three times before she picked up. The blonde pressed the speaker button on her screen.

"What's up, Ino?" The bunhead's voice sounded from the other line.

"You never went in full detail about your date! You know Shikamaru never tells me everything unless I ask…even then he won't tell me." The blonde Psychology major whined.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes and reached for the bowl of putting on the coffee table. There was already a spoon in it, and he exhaled loudly through his nose as the treat touched his tongue.

"It was great; Real simple and Shikamaru is really charming." Tenten said. "Totally chill."

"Ah, that's good to hear." Ino nudged her best friend's shoulder. "Did anything juicy happen?"

Tenten clicked her tongue as an indication of her thinking.

"No...not really. He did buy me flowers though and we sat and talked for a long while."

"Did you read his palm?"

"Nope, but I did give him some info about our comparability with our signs."

"And-" Ino pushed. "-what's the deal with that? Are you two soulmates or what?"

Shikamaru grunted and leaned his elbow on the arm rest. Tenten let out a laugh.

"That's not how it works, but no. We are not soulmates, Ino."

"Ah, well. It was worth a shot… Shikamaru probably isn't good enough for you." Ino sighed. "There has to be someone out there who is."

Tenten's huff was audible through the phone which made Ino laugh. The Nara glared at the blonde and picked his phone back up.

"Anyway, what are you up to now?"

"Heading to Neji's." Tenten replied. "He wanted some company."

Ino blinked and checked the time. It was a bit late for her to be out on a Monday. But she supposed this was nothing new since the Hyuga was a good walking distance from her own house.

"Alright, I'll let you go then." Ino said before hanging up.

"She's heading to Neji's house right now." The blonde repeated to her best friend.

Shikamaru let out a groan. He'll have his phone on standby.

Tenten hummed as she knocked on the Hyuga's door. She was sure he would be in the living room where his playstation was. It wasn't long until the door opened and her best friend greeted her with a small smile. The bun head's eyebrows shot upwards. Indeed, she thought. Shikamaru was right… and what an adorable smile it was. Neji led her into his condo and shuffled back to the living room. The cheerleader removed her sneakers and peeked over at the couch. It didn't seem like he had moved from there all day judging by the blanket and a couple of snack boxes. He had to be playing Overwatch or Destiny. Sitting herself next to him, she was shocked from what was on the tv.

"I didn't realize you got this far… or that you even started the game." Tenten mused.

"Well, you told me it was roughly seventy-two hours of gameplay. That's not too bad." Neji replied nonchalantly. "Plus, I just made it to Neverland."

Tenten had lent him number one, most replayed game since she was in high school to him; Kingdom Hearts. At first she wasn't too sure if he'd like it since it was colorful and had a major focus on the Disney characters. However, Neji took to the game and found the story to be more meaningful and touching than most of the Final Fantasy games he has played in the past. This scene happened a lot between them; Tenten would come over to quench her boredom and find Neji with his homework and papers already done, in front of his tv playing video games. Then after a while, he'd save the game and get blankets for them to laze about on the couch while watching Netflix.

"Did you eat?" Neji asked after a moment.

"Yeah, Shin made dinner before I left." The bun head replied.

The Hyuga merely nodded before approaching a save point. Handing her the controller, he shuffled to his room to fetch the blankets. His condo was very simple and screamed Hyuga; white walls with barely any picture frames, a grey leather sofa with pillows, a table and an open kitchen. There were two bedrooms and two bathrooms. He had gotten two bedrooms just in case his parents decided to visit him (which was unlikely but just in case). Tenten would normally take the second bedroom whenever she slept over. Or she'd find herself there whenever she'd fall asleep on the couch. The bunhead even had a few sets of clothes in that guest room. She was slowly moving in, as her brother would put it. Neji wouldn't mind, she mused. However, Tenten knew her best friend preferred his silence and removal from social interactions like the introvert he was. Then again, she was approached by him to take the second bedroom permanently and come in and out as she pleased. So, she supposed he had moved him with him?

"Tea?" Neji asked as he tossed her a comforter.

"Nah, I'm good." Tenten replied fixing the comforter and stretching her legs.

The Hyuga shrugged and sat himself on the couch. He leaned back and as Tenten lifted her legs and placed them on his lap. Yes, this was as physical as it got when they weren't absolutely shit-faced drunk. Neji rested his hand on her knee and watched the screen as she tired to pick a movie to them to watch. Should they watch a movie? Or maybe an anime? What haven't they watched together yet? Tenten hummed and sucked her teeth as she scrolled through their options. After a moment she settled on rewatching a show they both highly enjoyed called "Midnight Cafe". They were silent for most of the first episode, the occasional chuckle could be heard from the Hyuga as they watched the exaggerated interactions between the characters. The bunhead has soon lost some interest and her eyes wandered over to him. There on his lips was a small-almost nonexistent but she was certain the corners of his mouth were upturned slightly-smile. His brows were relaxed and his eyes were half lidded but not tired. Neji looked to be in a pleasant mood to her. Shikamaru's words made her think about him for a good while. Well, 'him' as in Neji and the situation they were in. Surely, the way they acted towards each other was normal? After all, he was a gentleman and treated her like a princess. And at the same time he was hard on her like a rival. And their compatibility… she hadn't thought about it until the Nara had asked her about it. What was he priming her for? Did he know something she didn't? It would be surprise her, but when it came to Neji she felt as though he knew more than he did...at least she thought so.

"Hey, I meant to ask you…"

Tenten blinked, her eyes meeting his.

"How was your date?" Neji asked. "You went out with Shikamaru right?"

"Yeah… it was pleasant. A bit out of the blue but we had a good time." Tenten replied nonchalantly.

Neji hummed, his lips pursed together expecting her to say more. But when she didn't, he squeezed her knee.

"I saw his snaps. You guys went to the pier?"

"Yep. We found a nice hot pot spot and had a few drinks too." The bunhead said.

"Kind of casual for a date, don't you think?"

Tenten shook her head. "It doesn't take much to woo me, even you know that. I'm perfectly content with the simplest of activities. Besides, he let me pick where to eat and that's what I chose."

Neji's head tilted to the side. He appeared to be thinking, she noted.

"What happen after that?" the Hyuga pushed a bit tensely.

"Oh, we found a bench and just sat there. We talked about some stuff and just stared off into the sky for a bit." Tenten offered a smile as she recalled the personal moment she had with Shikamaru.

"Hn. That does sound like something Shikamaru would do." Neji murmured to himself.

Tenten blinked and asked why he was so interested in her date. The Hyuga mere shrugged at her; he had seen the snaps on Snapchat and was just curious. At this the cheerleader cocked an eyebrow at him. He seemed a bit bothered by this, she thought. But why? Did he think that she and Shikamaru were now a couple or something? That definitely wasn't the case and she had to make sure he understood that.

"Shikamaru and I decided to just stay friends," she stated. "We do have a lot in common and get along very well… but we can't see each other together like that."

"Oh?" The Hyuga returned his attention back to the tv.

"Yeah, and frankly you don't seem to like the idea of me being with him anyway. Or anyone for that matter… it's like you just don't like the fact that guys are coming up to me. What's the matter, Neji? You think you're going to lose me forever or something?"

Ivory eyes doubled in size as Neji's head snapped back her way. Her question was bold, rather, he had wondered if he had been found out. There was no way though, he knew she was absolutely blind to whatever hints he threw at her, or his subtle smiles whenever they held hands or linked arms.

"No… I just don't think you two are a good match." He stated smoothly.

"And you certainly didn't appreciate that I hooked up with Sasuke either." She pressed with a grumble. "I still don't get why you even cared about that."

He scoffed at the mention of the Uchiha. He was playing nice with Sasuke only because he was friends with Tenten. If he were to show any attitude towards him, his best friend would shoot him a glare and tell him to suck it up. No, he didn't like the fact that she still spoke to Sasuke. And when it came to her date, he was ready to hunt down Shikamaru and install fear into his soul if he tried anything funny with Tenten. The lazy philosophy major knew better, though. Shikamaru is probably the only one Neji would trust with Tenten (besides for Lee, of course.)

"That was only because you kept that from me and I had to find out randomly over the phone, Tenten." The track team captain stated flatly. "Frankly, I don't like being the last to find things out. Especially, if it involves someone I care about."

Tenten's mouth hung slightly ajar. He was… sulking right in front of her over the fact that she didn't tell him about her plans? There was not way he was that childish to be upset over the fact she she went on a date and didn't tell him. In fact, what did it matter if she went on a date or not? Neji argued that she was the closest person he had and felt that it was his right to know about certain things. Especially since he felt it was his responsibility to feel out whomever she chose to indulge since they were incredibly close. Furthermore, he stated that she was a bit oblivious to certain things and needed him to point them out to her. Tenten huffed; the audacity of this guy! Her arms crossed over her chest tightly as she glowered at him.

"You sound more like my father than my best friend."

Neji sucked his teeth. "Don't get mad at me just because you can't read others romantic gestures as easily as you can combat ones sass with your own." He murmured bitterly. "You don't see anything unless it's spelled out for you, apparently. How typical… what a way to waste other's time."

Tenten went wide eyed at his tone. He never used that tone with her before,even the Hyuga was shocked at his own tone. They sat there in silence for a moment. Perhaps he went a bit far in that last statement; his own jealousy and frustration getting the better of him. Side glancing at her, he noticed her golden brown eyes had casted downwards and were slightly misted over. Neji had hurt her feelings. An invisible weight began to push on his chest as he looked at her-biting her lower lip, unsure of what to say. She wasn't oblivious, not in the way he had blurted out. He wasn't thinking as those words escaped his lips and he definitely regretted them. Tenten's cheeks puffed up slightly as she could feel his eyes on her. She was used to his blunt remarks but where was this coming from? What was her indulging in her romantic life such a big deal to him? It shouldn't be a big deal to him. But maybe he was right; Neji has never lied to her and he had no reason to now.

"Oh, Tenten…" he whispered after a moment.

Neji reached over and gently grasped her hand. He gently pecked her knuckles before pulling her over to his side of the couch. She didn't fight him, which meant she wasn't completely mad at him. Her cheek rested upon his toned chest as his arms snaked around her. His chin rested on her head. Tenten nuzzled into his embrace. No, she thought, she couldn't stay mad at him for too long, but she was a bit hurt.

"I...I'm sorry." He murmured after a moment. "What I said was uncalled for."

Tenten didn't reply. She instead hummed lightly and closed her eyes. His heart beat had quickened in the moment he had apologized to her. The pounding of the muscle was clear to her ears and the warmth of his skin was comforting. He didn't let go of her, not until she pulled away first. That was how they always were. It was at this point where Tenten began to feel a lightness in her stomach. It was as if her mind had given a new lense as she stayed comfortably in the Hyuga's arms. Suddenly, she became hyper aware of his scent, the mix of his natural body smell and mint entered her nose. It was a pleasant scent that caused her nose to tingle every time she inhaled. Inner heat began to creep up from her chest, up her neck and to her cheeks. It was comforting- this position- and yet she couldn't stop her hands from sliding upwards, her face meeting with his as her arms locked themselves loosely around his shoulders. That's when Neji tightened his grip.

"You're right." She whispered in melancholy. "I really do need this kind of stuff spelled out for me."

The Hyuga shook his head, unwilling to answer or speak. He had compromised her feelings and felt terrible about it. Their breaths soon correlated in the same pattern as they held onto each other, trying to make the other feel better. For Tenten, she was aware of Neji's bitterness towards the situation. She was a bit responsible for his feelings and didn't think about how he would feel. For Neji, it was for running his mouth without considering her feelings. All this time he kept his emotions towards her to himself; she was no mind reader and what he said was uncalled for. It was her own love life and he had not control over her feelings.

She pulled away and walked herself to the kitchen without another word. Tenten could feel his eyes following her as she moved. Opening his fridge, the bunhead began to go through his groceries. Some veggies, leftovers and take out… nothing seemed to peak her interest so she opened the freezer. His ice box was stuffed with frozen meals and bags of dumplings. Tenten grabbed a bag that was half full and placed the bag on the counter. Grabbing a pot, she started to boil some water. Footsteps were heard behind her as she watched the water start to boil. The fridge was open yet again and Neji pulled out some veggies. He chopped them up and pulled it some oil and a pan. Was it odd that they had just returned to normal after that? As if it never happen? Some would say no it wasn't odd; that's how it should be. They should just move on. Others may say that they should've pushed it further. Perhaps Tenten should've asked Neji why he was being so blunt and-dare she say- sensitive to the topic of her dating life or just whomever she took interest in. But she didn't. And perhaps Neji should've kept his emotions in check like he usually did and repeated the fact that Tenten had a right to date whomever peaked her interest.

The pot was at a rapid boil when Neji grabbed some bowls. It didn't take long for the dumplings to thaw and cook through. They served themselves and made their way back to the couch. There was more silence as their attention went back to the tv as they ate. After a moment, Tenten playfully kicked his hip with her foot; the awkwardness had turned back to their normal sexual tension. Neji let loose a smile as he rolled his eyes. Setting her empty bowl on the coffee table, the bunhead wrapped herself in a comforter and leaned against the couch cushions. That smile didn't return to Neji's face.


	10. VII-2

True friends stab you in the front  
\- Oscar Wilde

Sleepless Night VII-2

Sasuke yelped as his older brother threw a package at his face. He had ordered a new PlayStation controller in red and had it shipped to Itachi's office. The older Uchiha sighed as he watched Sasuke open the box hastily. Really, he thought. He never thought his little brother would waste money on a controller simply because it was red. How foolish…

"Thanks, Itachi." Sasuke said as he plugged it into his PS4.

"Sasuke I don't want you staying up too late. First the Xbox… now you got a PS4… are you getting any work done?" Itachi asked leaning against the door frame.

"Yeah, don't worry about it." Sasuke murmured as he turned on his tv.

Shaking his head, Itachi left the room. The younger Uchiha turned on his PlayStation and sat against the frame of his bed. Perhaps he was wasting money on useless systems, but it's not like he was failing his classes or anything. Even if he was, he'd still get the damn thing and use his own money. Tugging on the joystick, he checked to see who was online. Neji was online, he noticed but he was on Netflix. Earlier he was playing kingdom hearts. He's into that kind of game? Sasuke hummed as he looked through his captains trophies. Apparently he is… huh. Naruto was on as well, no surprise there. Then… ah-Shikamaru was online. Digging his headset from a drawer, Sasuke started a party chat.

"Yo." Shikamaru's voice sounded from the other line.

"Oh shit, we lit now." And there's Naruto…

"What's up Sasuke?" That's Kiba.

Sasuke hummed sat back.

"Down for some Overwatch?" Naruto asked.

"Sure, why not? I got some questions for Shikamaru though." The Uchiha announced promptly.

Kiba and Naruto gave an amused grunt from their lines. The Nara already knew he was going to ask about his date (since everyone else already had). So, he just gave them a basic synopsis; He picked her up with flowers, they went to the pier, ate hot pot, talked a bit and he drove her back. It was a simple date, he told them.

"Nothing happened." Shikamaru murmured firmly.

"Nothing?" Kiba asked a bit disappointed. "Not even a kiss?"

Shikamaru hummed in a low tone. Naruto gasped and Kiba whistled.

"Oh, Shikamaru. Look at you, sucking face with a cheerleader." Kiba teased. "Especially a cheerleader who's best friends with our Captain."

An annoyed groan was heard.

"No, you ass. She kissed me on the cheek. It was nothing."

"I'm sure it was nothing," Kiba chirped. "I bet you wish it was something thought~"

"Ugh, whatever you troublesome idiot." The philosophy major groaned. "She was just being nice to me."

"She looked great. I rarely see Tenten dress up." Naruto commented casually. "Right, Sasuke?"

Sasuke hummed in agreement. She did look good and he knew that it had attracted someone else's attention since Shikamaru decided to post a picture on social media. Of course, they all saw it. It spread quickly between their group of friends and posed a lot of questions. Sasuke and Ino were rather pleased with how well the date turned out.

"So, would you take her out again?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah, I think I will." The Nara mused.

"Wait… you said you will?" Sasuke squinted at his screen.

"Why not? I highly doubt Neji has said anything to her of meaning regarding his own feelings. I might as well indulge myself a bit more."

Sasuke's eyes shot to his forehead. He...Shikamaru was serious. There was no humor in his voice when he said that. Kiba gave a small chuckle and told him to beware of the wrath of their team captain.

"Honestly, he isn't going to do anything." Shikamaru sighed. "If Tenten is enjoying herself and returns in one piece and in high spirits he won't do jack shit."

"That's… true, I guess." Kiba murmured with a shrug. "The princess is happy, therefore so is he."

"That's a bit disappointing, to be honest." Naruto hummed sadly.

"Wait," Sasuke put his controller down. "You...like her like that now."

There was a slight pause. None of the boys said a word until Shikamaru responded to that-not question, but a firm-statement.

"Perhaps," Shikamaru offered. " I may have been eyeing her for a while myself."

The Uchiha grabbed his phone. Scrolling through his contacts, he found Ino's name. Sending her a quick text, he frowned. This wasn't part of the plan, they had chosen Shikamaru because he didn't seem to have any affection towards her and he was closer to her than the rest of them were. Ino hasn't replied back within a few minutes, but that didn't stop Naruto and Kiba from asking questions. Shikamaru dodged most of them with such precision, you would've thought they were in a whole other conversation.

"I am not dumb, though," the Nara yawned. "She has no interest in me like that. And besides, if I take her from our captain, I'll have to throw hands to get her out of his grip."

"That's for sure… Sasuke got out alive somehow." Naruto laughed.

"Shut up, idiot!" The Uchiha snapped.

"Wait… what do you mean?" Kiba asked now inturiged. "What did you do mean he got out alive?"

Sasuke sucked his teeth. They knew he hooked up with her, but they didn't know he had sex with her. He was certain that the only other person who knew that they slept together was Neji himself… but even then it was Tenten who told him. So, Sasuke confided in Naruto with the situation. And this idiot just implied the topic.

"You… slept with her, huh?" He could practically hear Shikamaru's eyebrow lifting on his face.

Yes, he admitted. They got really drunk at a party and did the dirty when no one was paying attention. It was an in the moment thing and they decided not to talk about it and move on. The other boys in the party chat shared gasps and sighs.

"Shikamaru-" a groan escaped his lips.

"It's fine. I won't interfere." He stated. "I know my place, Sasuke."

"Good...Goddamn…" Sasuke grumbled. "Naruto, you are so dead."

Naruto gave a nervous laugh and apologized.

"Your meddling isn't working though." The Nara stated. "Tenten shouldn't be the only one you focus on."

"Have you spoken to Neji at all?" Kiba asked.

No, Sasuke shook his head at his tv. And he wasn't going to. It was bad enough that he is on Neji's not so friendly side because he slept with Tenten. He didn't want to make things worse by poking his nose into the Hyuga's emotions...or whatever emotions he even had (that stoic bastard). He enlisted Ino for help who went to Shikamaru and know here they were.

"You're talking to the wrong people, man." Kiba murmured.

"Oh?" Sasuke cocked an eyebrow.

"To get to Neji, you need to go to the one person who gets him almost as well as Tenten."

"And whose that?" The Uchiha asked.

"Hinata, you fool." Naruto chirped.

Ah...yes, Sasuke thought. Hinata Hyuga, of course… he hasn't thought about that before. He's never really interacted with her unless she was around her boyfriend. And even then Naruto did all of the talking. Hinata was the next best person who was so close to the Captain that she practically knew what he was feeling even when his face was stone. Did he have her number? He doubted it. This looks like a job for Naruto. The blonde grinned as Sasuke gave him the task of talking to Hinata. He wanted Hinata to dig a bit into his brain and try to get him to stop being a wuss and admit to himself out loud that he liked the cheerleader.

"Yes...this will work." Sasuke hummed.

"Why are you so hell bent on this?" Shikamaru asked suddenly.

"To be quite honest, I'm a bit tired of seeing Neji fawn over her and not doing anything. It's quite annoying when it's so obvious and yet he's so afraid of his own feelings...it's infuriating."

"Hmm…what a drag."

Hinata blinked as she got a text message from Naruto. His name with a fish cake emoji popped up with a greeting, as well as asking for a favor. She was in the middle of detangling her long raven hair so, she decided to call instead of text him. The phone rang twice before he greeted her with a cheesy pick up line that made her laugh.

"Hey, babe. I got a favor." Naruto said.

"A favor?" She hummed as she gently ran the comb through her locks. "What is it?"

Naruto began his tale about how Sasuke and Tenten hooked up and how Shikamaru went on a date with her and that they were tired of Neji having a stick up his ass about his feelings, along with the fact that they asked Ino for help-which is how Shikamaru got involved in the first place- and now, they were stumped on what to do next since apparently they haven't heard from their captain yet. The Hyuga woman blinked at her phone as she processed the information. Ah, she hummed. They came to her for help. But what could she possibly do? Sure she was Neji's younger cousin and they were like siblings, but Neji never opened up to her about certain topics. With Tenten, he was very selective as to what they spoke about and never gave too much information.

"I'm sure you'll think of something. It's just painfully obvious and it's killing us." Naruto groaned.

Hinata clicked her tongue. "I'll give it a shot… but no promises."

"Thanks, babe! You're the best!" Naruto chirped before hanging up.

Hinata tilted her head to the side as she began to braid her hair. A sigh escaped her lips as her pale eyes scanned the now dark screen of her phone. She hoped she wasn't getting into anything crazy when it comes to them. The last thing she wanted was her cousin to be mad at her for asking too many questions. Suddenly, a lightbulb went off. Maybe she didn't have to….

"A party?" Tenten asked over the phone.

"Yes, my parents are gone for the week. So, why not?" Hinata explained. "Plus Hanabi is back from boarding school and she'd like to hang out before she goes back."

"Hmmm… I dunno. I'd have to sleep over since you Hyuga's party until the next afternoon." The bunhead chuckled "I don't see why not, though. I could use a break."

"Great! I'll go shopping on Friday and have everyone over… oh!" Hinata paused.

"What's up?"

"I'm sure you wouldn't mind sharing a room with Neji right?" Hinata asked sweetly. "There's only one spare bedroom available right now since we're doing renovations to the estate."

Tenten hummed.

"Hey Neji, do you care if we share a room for Hinata's shindig?" She heard Tenten ask.

They were together right now, Hinata's ears perked up. Yes, this was perfect. There was silence before Tenten returned her attention to her phone.

"He doesn't care." The Chinese woman informed her. "I'm down for whatever."

"Good! I'll let you know more as the day gets closer!" The Education Major smiled. "One more thing…"

"Hm?"

"It's going to be a pool party."

Tenten blinked. A pool party? She knew that they had their own indoor and outdoor pool with a hot tub (must be nice to have money, the bunhead snorted) along with entertainment rooms. Did she have anything that still fit that was appropriate? Over the summer she worked at a day camp as a lifeguard and gymnastics instructor, so she had to dress kid friendly when it came to water days. She had to have something that was more casual… a bikini maybe? Did that red one still fit from five years ago? Maybe not, so she'd have to go shopping for one. She glanced over at Neji. He was still straight faced from what he said to her earlier that night. His lips were in a tight pale line and his brow cause his forehead to crease. What a guilty conscience-Tenten sighed and turned back to her phone.

"Lit, I'm down for whatever. I'll have to get a new bathing suit though."

That's when Neji's ears perked up and he side glanced at her. Bathing suit… this meant a pool party, he thought. His cousin was throwing a pool party? Hinata rarely threw parties, or attended them unless Naruto or the whole group of girls were going. This was rather interesting of her to do. Or was it Hanabi who had pushed her to do it? He wouldn't be surprised, his youngest cousin was more of an outgoing party person than her older sister.

"Alright cool, I'll catch you later." Tenten said before hanging up.

Neji turned his eyes back to the screen.

"Party, huh?" He murmured.

"Yep. Hinata is throwing a pool party and we-" Tenten nudged his side. "-are gonna go and have a good time."

The Hyuga rolled his eyes. He stood after a moment before offering his hand to her; he was ready for bed. The bunhead took his hand and stood, the blanket still around her body. He led her to her room before letting go of her hand and wishing her goodnight. The track team Captain waited until she was inside the room before walking to his own. Sitting on his bed, he looked at the ceiling. A pool party… he hummed. He hasn't been to a party in a while. He was sure Hinata incited the rest of the track team as well. Which meant that Uchiha and Nara would be present. His lip twitched at the thought. No, he was going to keep it cool and just do what he always did; watch from afar, since Hinata was kind enough to offer a room, he guessed that Tenten was planning on getting sloshed. Which means, he sighed, he'd be the one to be sober. After all, that's how they worked.


	11. VIII

I try to convince myself that it's the alochol talking. But alochol can't talk. It just sits can't even get itself out of the bottle - David Levithan, The Lover's Dictionary

Sleepless Night VIII

Tenten rummaged through her shopping bags as she sat on her rose wood floors. She had went to the mall with Ino the day before after cheer practice. There were a few really good options, and she couldn't make up her mind. There was a cute white monokini what had a deep V and showed off her breasts very nicely. Her only issue was the color. If they were heading to the beach or public pool, sure she'd wear it. But if someone spilled a drink on her accidentally, she'd have to walk around with an awkward stain. The next one was a simple one in a light blue that she decided to get because she liked the color. Besides that, her assortment of bathing suits varies from bikini tops and bottoms. She had taken to a green bikini top and a matching bottom that rested a bit lower than she'd usually wear them. It was a string mini bikini that felt like she was wearing literally nothing. Ino had noticed her looking at it and made her try it on. Indeed, it fit perfectly and her body looked incredible in it. She was sure to buy a cover up to go with it in white, only, Ino convinced her to buy the mesh cover up so she could still show off her rocking cheerleader body.

"Tenten." A knock came to her door.

"Yes, dad?" Tenten replied not moving from her spot on the floor. "I'm decent, you can come in."

The door opened slowly and a tall, husky man walked into the room. Fei-Ten was a military veteran who specialized in the weapons division. He had a stern stare but it was never malicious, unless provoked. He had grown his hair out after returning from service and decided to teach at the local high school in their neighborhood (that Tenten and her friends attended a few years ago). Looking down, her father cocked and eyebrow.

"You went shopping, Tenten?" He asked.

"Yeah, I have a pool party a little later and my other swimsuits were a bit too small or just really old." The bun head replied as she picked up the green mini bikini top and showed her father.

Fei-Ten's has clenched as he saw it. He wasn't sure he wanted her running around in that, however she pulled out the cover up and assured him that she'd be alright. Her father nodded, he did trust her when it came to being aware of her surroundings.

"Is Hyuga and Lee going with you?" He asked after a moment.

Tenten nodded and smiled. Her father adored Neji and Rock Lee, and she was happy that he trusted her best friends enough to put Tenten in their care. "Neji is picking me up actually," she looked at her clock. "He should be here in like five-"

Fei-Ten's head tilted slightly as the doorbell rang. He gave a chuckle as Tenten puffed up her cheeks; she wasn't even ready yet and he was early. The Hua man walked down stairs to open the door. Tenten could hear her father give a hardy greeting to her best friend. She shoved the other swimsuits into the shopping bag and undid her buns. It didn't take long for Neji to make it up the stairs and knock on her door.

"Ready?" The Hyuga asked sitting himself at the edge of her bed.

"Just have to change into my bathing suit and braid my hair." The Chinese woman murmured as she began two French braids.

Neji hummed and looked about her room. His eyes landed on the green mini bikini she had laid on her carpet. Reaching down, he scooped up the top and held it up. His eyebrows went south as he looked at the size of the padded cups. It's too small for her, he thought. Or was it supposed to look like this? Tenten tied off her braids and turned to face him.

"Ten… this is a bit… small for you," he mused. "Don't you think?"

Tenten took the top from him.

"Nah, it fits. It's supposed to be a bit more showy. That what a mini bikini does." She replied.

His eyebrows shot upwards. She had every intention of showing off her body tonight, which means he had to be on his guard and keep and eye on her (even more so than he already did). He grunted a bit as Tenten started to strip in front of him. Turning his head like the gentleman he was, he told her that she needs to warn him whenever she does that. The cheerleader rolled her eyes; it wasn't like he hasn't seen a pair of breasts before. Hyuga Neji has been flashed many times at parties.

"Please tell me you have a cover up?" He sighed.

"Yeah, but it doesn't cover much…" she teased with a smirk.

Neji rolled his eyes and slightly turned his head to see if she was dressed. She chose a white crop top and green booty shorts that made her behind look scrumptious. He was staring, wide eyed at her. A bit too long too since Tenten asked him if there was something on her clothes. The Hyuga shook his head and stood. Tenten grabbed her overnight bag and led her best friend downstairs. She waved goodbye to her father and closed the door behind them. Neji had a luxury car waiting in her driveway. The white leather seats costed more than their tuition and he was very picky as to who sat in his car. Pulling off, they rode in silence with the radio on. Tenten glanced over at him. He had his swim trunks on and his hair was up in a high ponytail which meant he probably had the intention of going into the pool.

"Hey Neji," She murmured as they rolled to a red light. "Can I ask you something?"

The Hyuga cocked an eyebrow as he turned to face her. "What's up?"

Tenten shifted in her seat a bit. Her hand went the the seat belt that was sitting in between her breasts, rubbing against her chest. Tugging on it, she moved it to the side.

"We didn't figure out which one of us is getting trashed tonight." She said.

Neji hummed as he watched he light turn green and he gently pressed the accelerator. Since they were sleeping over and had their own room, technically both of them could get shit faced tonight. Tenten smiled slightly, knowing that he was a still a bit awkward from the last time he showed up on her doorstep, drunk as hell.

"Well, I guess I have to keep you closely next to me," the bunhead sighed. "Can't have you hugging on other people now can we?"

Neji sucked his teeth. "I don't hug on other people."

"Just me."

"Right...just you." He mused.

Tenten chuckled. They had parked a block away from the grand Hyuga Estate because Neji didn't want any of Hanabi's trashy high school friends wrecking his car if the party got out of hand. Music was playing loudly and there were already a bunch of people wandering about. They were greeted by Naruto, who was in a tank top and angry orange swim shorts. He waved them inside and told them to throw their bags in one of the vacant guest room upstairs. Neji grabbed onto Tenten's hand as they navigated through the crowd of high schoolers and other college classmates. They were all chatting with red solo cups or bottles in hand gossiping or talking about their stressful schedules. The Hyuga closed the door behind him as they stepped into the room. Tenten looked around in awe. She's only been to Hinata's house a handful of times and when she and the girls were over for their sleepovers, they'd stay in Hinata's room. This room was very similarly to Neji's in the fact that the walls were titanium white and had leather furniture and a large bed with a plush comforter. The bed frame was a light oak color that matched the vanity on the other side of the room.

"Wow…" she hummed.

"Ready?" Neji asked setting his bag on one of the corner chairs and moving to remove his shirt.

"Oh yeah, give me a sec." the cheerleader stated as she reached for her booty shorts.

Now, Neji would usually look away however, he couldn't really stop his eyes from watching as she slipped the shorts down her hips and thighs. His jaw even clenched as her torso arched gracefully as she removed her shirt to reveal that green bikini top that showed more breast than he's ever seen her show off. The Hyuga gulped as she turned to him and asked his option on the choice of swimwear. Although he nodded in approval, he wasn't sure if he wanted her walking around looking… looking like a snack (as the High Schoolers day these days). Tenten ran her fingers down her braids as bent over her bag and took out her mesh cover up. Oh… her butt looked amazing, when did that get there? The Chinese woman threw him her phone and asked him to take a picture for "the Gram". And so he did, not only did he take one for instagram, he sent himself the picture as well. Tenten grinned as she looked at the picture. Throwing her phone on the bed, she announced she was ready to get shit faced and led him back downstairs. Eyes shifted their way as they walked through. To an outsider, they were viewed as a very attractive pair, especially to the high schoolers. They found themselves at the kitchen where the bottles were spread about. Tenten reaches for the tequila. She poured both of them a shot.

"Well, here's to a good party." She held out her red solo cup.

"Cheers, Tenten." Neji clanked his cup against hers and they both drowned the shot.

Deciding to go for the rum, the Hyuga poured himself about half a cup and added some ice cubes. Tenten decided to stay the tequila, mixing it with a soda of her choice. They both took a sip and walked out of the kitchen to find their friends. As they passed, Hanabi rolled up to them with a cup in hand and a group of high schoolers behind her.

"Hey guys! Thanks for coming." She chirped.

"Of course, Hanabi! We wouldn't have missed this for anything." Tenten smiled.

"Hn. Those your friends ?" Neji guestered to the group.

Hanabi looked over her shoulder. They were fawning over the two young adults before them.

"Oh, yeah." She hummed. "Tenten, I haven't seen you in a long while! You need to come hang out more with Hinata and I."

Tenten chuckled and nodded; yes she did. As they waved the younger Hyuga off they could hear their excited chatters of "wow, they're so hot." And the affirmative from the Hyuga that Neji was her older cousin and captain of the University's track team while Tenten was on the Cheer squad that made the top team in the country ever since she joined. There was an exchange of glances between Neji and Tenten as Hanabi talked them up to her friends. Together, they decided to go find Hinata. It wasn't that hard to track her since most of the college kids hung out by the hot tub, away from the younger teenagers. The only people missing from their group was Rock Lee and Shino, who barely went to parties.

"Damn Tenten," Kiba whistled. "You look hot as fuck."

Tenten grinned and struck a pose, swiping her braid from her shoulder. Yes, yes she did.

"I told you it looked great!" Ino exclaimed.

Hinata waved them over to join them. Taking off the mesh cover up (that didn't cover jack shit) she slipped into the heated water next to Shikamaru while Neji sat on the other side of her, next to Sasuke. They all shared a sigh. The Nara kissed her cheek in greeting before taking a swig of his beer. None of them missed the side glance Neji gave him.

"So, what's going on?" Tenten asked raising her cup to her lips. "What are you guys up to?"

"We were just gonna start a game of Kiss Me Threes." Sakura exclaimed excitedly.

The game was simple, Sasuke hummed. They all closed their eyes and threw out a number with their hands. For every odd number, you kissed on the cheek, however, if you matched with someone on the number three, it was a full on kiss. As for the even numbers, if you throw an even number and someone else throws an even number that matches, you kiss them on the forehead. Tenten hummed, they hadn't played this game since high school, but fuck it, why not?

"Alright, ready?"

Everyone closed their eyes. They all held their hands out in the middle.

"One… two… three, pick a number."

Everyone threw a number out using their fingers from one to five. Tenten jumped as she felt Shikamaru shift next to her.

"One, two, three… open!"

Tenten looked down at the group of hands. She had thrown out a four. Sasuke hummed as he looked to Sakura, whom he matched with a three and pulled her over. He lightly pecked the pink haired medical student on the lips. Kiba had matched with Hinata on getting a one, and he just planted a quick smooch on her cheek, which caused her to laugh and Naruto to not show any ill facial expression. Before she could react, Neji had leaned over and pecked her on the forehead; he had matched her with her four.

"Alright, one-two-three… eyes closed."

"One, two, three… pick your number."

"One-two-three, eyes open!"

Tenten has picked another even number of two. Shikamaru matched Ino with a three and the two made an audible gag noise. Sure, Ino was in a relationship with Sai, and Shikamaru respected that. So, it was a quick peck that resulted in the blonde drowning her drink and reaching for a new one. Naruto planted a sloppy kiss on Hinata's lips as they matched in threes. There was a snort next to Tenten. Neji and Sasuke has matched in fives, and they were sure as hell glaring at each other, daring one of them to make a move. The group stared at them, just waiting.

"I'm not drunk enough for this…" Neji groaned.

Sasuke huffed and decided to be the one to kiss the Hyuga on the cheek. A laugh ripples through the group as Neji shoves the Uchiha away from him with an embarrassed glare. By this time, everyone's cups and bottles were empty, so Naruto ran to the kitchen to grab more bottles. And by this time, everyone was in their fifth or sixth drink and feeling a bit twisted. Everyone closed their eyes once more. Deciding to get more adventurous, Tenten tried her luck and threw out a three. She wasn't sure who'd she match with, and yet she wasn't expecting anyone in particular to match with her.

"One, two, three- open!"

Tenten gasped as she looked down at the hands. A gentle hand caressed her cheek and turned her head to the right. Shikamaru leaned over and pressed his lips against her's ever so hands traveled down to her waist as he leaned in more, deepening the kiss. He had matched her in threes by chance. Sasuke went wide eyed as he watched the team captain next to him clench his jaw. His shoulders tensed which cause the Uchiha to put a hand on his shoulder, ready to hold him back if he decided go jump at the Nara. Tenten's eyes fluttered open as she met Shikamaru's gaze. He looked a bit… forlorn as he looked down at her. Removing his hands from her waist, he sat back in his spot and smirked. That was part of their date they never got to, so the Philosophy major was quite pleased that they matched, however he wouldn't be throwing out a three again. The next couple of rounds went by, and Neji was getting a bit frustrated by the fact that he was no longer matching with Tenten in any number she threw out. After a while, the cheerleader sighed.

"Fuck this," she groaned. "I wanna go dance."

She stood and stepped out of the hot tub.

"Neji, come with me." Tenten slurred.

Without hesitation, the Hyuga climbed out the hot tub and lead his best friend back into the estate...not before sending a death glare towards Shikamaru, who just smirked.

"Dude, he's pissed." Kiba hummed.

"Let him be." Shikamaru sighed. "I got what I wanted anyway."

Tenten found Neji's hand and dragged him into the crowd of people who were dancing to whatever trash music was blasting. She didn't care one bit as she began to dance closely to her best friend. He was stiff, however he loosened up after a while. Before he realized it; Tenten had pushed herself against him. Automatically, his hands found her hips. His breath was hot against her neck and her vision was giving off a fishbowl effect. Yes… she was absolutely trashed and the way Neji had his hands on her, he was shit faced as well. And yet neither of them cared as they continued to grind on each other. This form of dirty dancing was something they hadn't done before (drunk or sober) and was quite exhilarating. His grip on her was firm, with intention of letting go and she liked it. She liked it a lot. A tingling sensation sprouted at her jaw as Neji pressed his lips against her skin. Soft, that was the adjective she was looking for, his lips were soft and moist as they trailed down her neck, causing her to shiver. Her back arched slightly as one of his hands slowly ghosted upwards, fingers trailing long her skin until he brushed against the underside of her breasts that were over exposed from the mini bikini she had decided to wear and was painfully teasing him with all night. A gasped escaped her lips as she felt something hard press in between her lower cheeks. Neji was aroused, and she didn't mind it. It came more as a surprise to her if anything. And with the alcohol, she couldn't think quick enough when Neji turned her around to face him. His eyes were a bit hazed as he played with the strings that tied her mini bikini top together in the back. After a moment, he lowered his lips to her ear and whispered something she couldn't quite make out besides for the words "alone" and "upstairs". She found herself nodding anyway despite not hearing him fully and was led to the stairs by the Hyuga. Once they were by the door to their guest room a heavy sigh escaped from the track team captain's lips as he opened the door. Tenten had been the one to close the door behind them as they stood awkwardly in the room in silence. The cheerleader leaned awkwardly against the door and looked at her feet, suddenly hyper aware of their current drunken situation. She took a braid between her finger and bit her lower lip. She wanted him, pretty badly. Tenten wanted him to grab her by the shoulders and kiss her. She wanted him to throw her on the bed and ravage her for the rest of the night. Her legs crossed; these thoughts, where were they coming from? She wasn't sure that she's ever thought of Neji in that way but right now, she wanted him in ways that was way more than what best friends did.

"Tenten."

Her eyes shot to his. Those ivory eyes shined in the dark room that stood him. His voice was husky and he started to walk over to her. He knew that she knew that he was aroused, now was the matter of doing something about it. He reached his hand out to her. Tenten didn't hesitate as she laid her own hand in his and allowed him to pull her into an embrace. They stood there for another moment. His hands rested and the small of her back, his thumbs rubbing against her skin as they always did whenever they hugged. They were still soaked from the hot tub and the head between them began to rise.

"Fuck Shikamaru. You're mine right now..." He whispered bitterly.

"Mm." She hummed against his collar bone.

He led her to the bed where he gently laid her down. Her eyes were half lidded as he hovered over her, not breaking their eye contact. In a single breath he was on his elbows, their lips inches apart. He was giving her time to say no, to push him off or turn her face away. He'd get off of her in an instant, but she kept still. And that's when their lips collided. The heat had risen immensely between them as they kissed. Tenten's already hazy mind began to shoot sparks all about her skin and her muscles. Her body relaxed and sunk into the bed as she gave into his lips. Her arms snakes around his neck, pulling him closer to her. Hips lightly pressed against hers, causing a hot exasperated gasp to escape her throat. Neji's hand traced the side of her body and tug at the strings of her bikini bottoms. Deciding he wanted to hear her gasp again, he pressed his hips more forcefully against hers.

"A-ahh!" She moaned in his ear.

His lips went from her face, down her neck and in between her breasts. Tenten bit her lip as he went lower and lower, down her rib cage and her stomach. His tongue lightly danced around her navel, leaving a trail of his own saliva on her skin. Then when he reached the line of her swimsuit bottoms he stopped. He looked up at her with curious eyes. Tenten anchored her head and nodded at him. And that when Neji untied the strings that held her bathing suit together. The cheerleader moaned loudly and her hand found his hair. The gripped her thighs, sending shockwaves through her system. He was going to take care of her, and work on her until she was ready to burst. He could feel her legs tremble around his head which caused him to smirk.

"N-Neji!" She rasped.

That's what he was looking for. He was hovering over her again, one of his hands by her head the other working on his still damp and uncomfortably tight swim trunks. Tenten's mouth fell ajar when she saw him. She couldn't help herself but state wide eyed. Had she wondered about what he packing? Perhaps, a few times but that was out pure curiosity. Seeing him fully bare was something she didn't think she'd be able to see in her entire lifetime, and she hoped she fucking remembered it in the morning.

"Tenten," he whispered. "Look at me."

Her golden brown eyes his. There was a slight embarrassed expression on his face, but his eyes were still shining. Leaning in, kissed her vigorously. She gave a small yelp against his lips as he moved forward, her fingers digging into his back. He stopped and whispered in her ear. The Hyuga let his charm spew from his lips to release her tension. Then, he tried again and this time it was smoother. Her toned legs wrapped around his waist and their breath quickened. Instantly, they fell into perfect synchronization. His lips soon found hers again after a moment and small pants were heard from her. She was surprisingly quiet, he thought. He was expecting a loud scream or squeal to come from her, but it didn't. And he wasn't too sure he likes that. He needed her to say his name again; the same way she said before when his face was between her legs and her cheeks were beat red. He slowed, cause a small groan to be heard from her showing her discontentment. He blew lightly into her ear and smirked when she squirmed under him. That's when he decided to keep his slow pace, but be more forceful upon application. With more force came more audible pants and moans from her. He could hear her cursing under her breath, which was close to what he wanted. It was when he pressed deeply when she called his name out. If it weren't for the music loudly playing downstairs, they would've definitely been heard. But for once, that wasn't the case.


	12. IX

You need to know things the other's don't know. It's what no one knows about you that allows you to know yourself. -Don DeLillo, Point Omega on privacy

Sleepless Night IX

Hinata hummed as she sat on the bleachers. The boys track team was out late doing drills on the field. With that being said, so was the cheer team, conviently enough. Just watching the two teams in the same area was both entertaining and weird at the same time. Very rarely did the cheer team go to track events to cheer at, however with their university championship in a month and her older cousin had every intention in keeping his team in the top three and she was sure the cheer team was going to be present. A sigh was heard from the Hyuga girl as she caught Neji-for the tenth time during practice- look over at the cheer team with melancholy in his eyes. They hadn't spoken much since that night. How did Hinata know about it? Well, it was Hanabi who spotted their dear older cousin take their dear friend up to the room and they didn't come down for the rest of the party. Needless to say, something happen. Hinata wasn't too sure if it was a good thing, but when the group noticed their absence from the main party scene, it was Sasuke who silently snuck himself by their door and heard the commotion. Even at breakfast, they were silent at the table and didn't look at each other. Naruto tried his best to spark some kind of conversation, however it came to no avail.

"Hinata!"

She turned her head and was greeted by the girls. Ino and Sakura sat themselves next to her and smiled.

"What are you still doing here?" Ino asked.

"I'm waiting for Neji to release the team from practice. Naruto and I have dinner plans a bit later." Hinata replied with an aggravated sigh. "But of course they started their championship training…"

Sakura chuckled. Their ears perked up as there was a rhythmic chant coming from the group of cheerleaders. Tenten was being lifted into the air, held up by her two bases and back spot in shorts and a sports bra with her hair in a high ponytail with a bright red bow.

"So, is it true?" the pink haired med student asked quietly. "They slept together right?"

Hinata shrugged. She wasn't sure and the only one who would know is Sasuke since he went upstairs to check on them. Ino crossed her arms over her chest and hummed. They were super awkward now, not just Neji and Tenten but their whole group. Shikamaru has been a bit more uptight than usual, but made no comments toward the situation...if you'd even call it a situation. Sasuke noticed the change of atmosphere and was rather unsure what to make of it. Rock Lee and Shino were totally out of loop since they missed the party, so they were just confused. This was supposed to be a good thing right? The girls sighed in unison. That game was planned. They had all agreed to play the Kiss Me Threes when Neji and Tenten found them. Sure, it was fun and they danced and all that, but they wondered what happen the morning after they woke up-with hangovers-between the two of them. Could they just go up and ask? Sakura shook her head, they'd be meddling.

"We were already meddling…" Ino sucked her teeth. "I even spoke to Sasuke earlier today and Neji won't budge on what happen. He refused to confirm or deny anything."

"Sounds like him…" Hinata sucked her teeth. "I haven't had a chance to speak to Tenten privately yet."

"We should do so after practice," Sakura stated. "The sooner the better. I don't think I can take anymore of this awkward air."

The Hyuga girl nodded in agreement. "Same."

Another hour and a half passed and the sun was setting. Tenten nursed her water bottle with a towel draped around her shoulders.

"Good work today, Ten." her captain called before heading back to the campus buildings.

"Thanks, Karin." The Chinese woman replied before stretching her legs out.

Man, she was sore. And it didn't help she was still recovering from the party. Tenten's shoulders drooped as she sighed. Her ears perked up when she heard a soft voice calling her name. It was Hinata who was walking her way with Ino and Sakura behind her. They greeted her with smiles before sitting on the well cared grass next to her. It was Hinata who went right for the the topic of the party, right off the bat. The party, she thought. Upon waking up the next morning, she had found herself on top of damp bed sheets, in the arms of her super naked best friend. At first she had panicked, which cause him to wake up. With throbbing headaches they laid there for a moment, trying to remember bits and pieces of what happen that night. Of course, the only things that flashes through her mind was Neji hovering over her and his head between her legs...her face began to tingle.

"Well… what happen?" Ino asked. "After you tried to remember everything?"

"Uhm…" Tenten bit her lip. "We just kind of laid there and looked at each other."

Ino groaned while Sakura cocked an eyebrow.

"You two didn't talk about the situation?" The pinkette leaned in.

Tenten shrugged. "No, I guess we didn't."

"Ugh, you two are hopeless, I swear…" Ino sucked her teeth.

Hinata shot Ino a glare before putting a hand on her best friend's shoulder. There was something Tenten wasn't telling them. A small detail that was actually quite important. If she were to tell them, though, she wasn't sure if she'd want to deal with their pestering; it was between herself and Neji.

"I just… was it an accident?" The cheerleader pondered. "Was it just because I was there with him?"

The girls shot worried looks at each other. That was a great question. Yes, it was obvious that Neji had feelings for her. But who was to say he didn't try to be handsy with the person closest to him physically? He had an almost nonexistent track record of sleeping with randoms at parties, but that's not to say it didn't happen before.

"Do you like him, Tenten?" Sakura asked quietly.

Tenten's eyes shifted towards the track team, who were doing their cool down stretches and chatting between themselves.

"Yes, I think I do."

Ino cocked an eyebrow at this. "What do you mean 'think'?"

The cheerleader scratched the back of her neck. She wasn't sure how she felt about him. She's always seen Neji as her companion, her counterpart, partner in crime, and all that… but romantically, she's only thought about it a few times. And with them having sex completely shit faced and remembering some of it the next morning… she wasn't completely sure.

"You need to talk to him." Hinata stated firmly. "Maybe he can help you sort your feelings out. It's as you said… you're each other's counterparts."

Tenten hummed and looked down at her water bottle. She supposed she should… it would be best for all of them if they got this whole thing sorted out. The cheerleader didn't want to speak much about it to her girl friends though, they had a tendency to butt in with their two sense and completely miss the point or not offer any valuable input. Scratching the back of her head, she stood.

Neji glanced over to the girls. They had started walking back towards the campus buildings. Bringing his water bottle to his lips, he took a sip. The rest of the team sat around their captain, looking at each other. They were trying to figure out who would ask him about what transpired that night while they were downstairs partying. Of course the Uchiha didn't share whatever he found with the group, so that left everyone wondering. However, it was Shikamaru who was bold enough to ask the question.

"Did things happen?"

Neji snapped towards him. Shrugging, he took another sip.

"Oh, so you did score." Kiba grinned. "About time."

The group chuckled as their captain rolled his eyes. Their laughs died down as they noticed the Hyuga's eyebrows cast downwards. In unison, they pursued their lips together.

"So...uh," Naruto murmured. "Did something happen? Like… something bad?"

"No," Neji said flatly after a moment. "Not really."

The group heaved a sigh. Getting anything out of home was going to be a big pain. The guys all looked to each other for some way to have the Hyuga open up about what happen. Sasuke then stood and closed his water bottle. Eyes were on him as he announced that he was heading back to the campus buildings to shower and change.

Sasuke hurried as he threw his sweating track shorts in his duffle and washed away the field dirt that attached itself to his legs and hands. Dashing out the shower, he pulled up his boxers and skinny jeans. His combat boots clanked against the tiled floor as he made his way to the parking lot. Fishing his keys from his leather jacket, the Uchiha hopped onto his motorcycle and drove out of the lot. There was no way he would miss her at this point, he thought. She usually walked home on nice days like this; it was only an hour and a half from her house… Settling in front of the opposite side of the physical education and science building, Sasuke kicked down his bike stand and waited. After a moment, he pulled out his phone and sent a text message. The response came almost instantly with an affirmative reply...although it seemed hesitant. Another twenty minutes passed when the girls had emerged from the building. Tenten looked over at him with her eyebrow raised as she walked over, her friends behind her.

"Hey Sasuke," Sakura smiled at him.

"Hello, Sakura," he replied smoothly. "Sorry to break up your little hang out, but Tenten and I have somewhere to be."

The girls looked between the Uchiha and their Hua friend. Tenten shrugged before she swung her leg over the bike with her own bag attached to her back. The cheerleader waved at her friends before snaking her arms around Sasuke's waist. Hinata squinted as she watched them speed off onto the Main Street. It was Ino who made a comment first.

"That was…" she mused. "Since when did they hang out?"

Sakura shrugged. "It happens sometimes. He usually tells me when they do though, so I wonder if it something important."

"Wait… why does he always tell you?" The blonde turned to her.

Sakura offered a small smile. They were good friends, and she was typically around Sasuke the most during the day or weekends. They did have a little fling going on, however nothing too serious. But that didn't mean he didn't talk to her like that. Hinata's eyes kept their gaze at the direction that Tenten had sped off to with the Uchiha. Reaching into the pocket of her sweater, she pulled out her phone.

"Hey Naruto," Hinata murmured into the mic. "Am I still meeting you for dinner?"

"Yeah, if you're still up for it, babe." The Uzumaki's voice sounded from the other line.

"Hinata, what are you doing?" The two girls looked over at the Hyuga.

She put her mic on mute. "What? You don't want to go after them?"

Ino and Sakura went wide eyed. It was a bit out of character for Hinata to be so forward.

"I don't think we should," Sakura stated. "Sasuke won't do anything with her like that."

"It's not Sasuke I'm worried about…" The Education major murmured. "Once Neji notices that Tenten left without him, he might go after them."

Ino shifted in her spot. "So, let him."

A sigh escaped Hinata's lips as she held her friend's stare. She turned her mic back on.

"Sorry about that," the raven haired woman said. "Yes… I'm still up for it. Though, I have a question."

"Sure, what's up?" Naruto asked.

"Did you know that Sasuke just left with Tenten?"

There was a pause on the other line.

"No…" the blonde trialed. "Did they just leave?"

"Yeah, they did. So, he hasn't said anything to you?"

"Not a thing…" Naruto mused. "I'll let Neji know that she went ahead with you or something."

"Tell him she went home with Ino. That way he won't ask any questions."

"Alright, babe. I'll meet you in front of the science building."

Hinata pocketed her phone and ran a hand through her hair.


	13. IX-2

I feel lost and confused, but happy and certain. I am like a ball of tangled yarn. The parts that are untangled are available, useable; the rest is a mess, useless until it is untied. That mass feels endless and at most times unyielding. - Astrid Lee Miles, Recovering Is An Art (Recovering #1)

Sleepless Night IX-2

They rode along the side streets, weaved in between cars and dragged along the sidewalk. The concrete had turned to cobblestone as they reached the north side of the city. There were hills that were fenced in to prevent anyone from tumbling down the steep landmass. Sasuke eased to a stop and kicked down his bike stand. Tenten swung her leg over and sighed. She walked over to the metal waist-height fence and leaned over; she could see the whole city from up here. The sun was in the middle of setting and it's orange rays turned pink and purple. Lights began to turn on in apartments and late night business offices around them. Sasuke leaned against his motorcycle and just watched. He watched as she looked longingly towards the horizon, her hair flashing specks of red, brown and black. After a moment, he slowly stood beside her. He had brought her here to collect her thoughts, something she couldn't do with the group around trying to meddle. Sasuke had learned long ago that Tenten was very careful of what she told people; even if it was Lee and Neji. There was a lot she kept to herself. After they had hooked up, Sasuke started to notice this characteristic even more, by not what she said- but what she didn't say. Her facial expressions gave it all away and they didn't at the same time; but you had to be paying attention in order to figure it out. They had established a sense of trust after they promised not to say a word about their own sexual encounter, so the Uchiha felt a bit obligated to stick his hand in the ring and just let her talk out her own thoughts, while he stands there and doesn't say a word. Their gazes met as the rays grew stronger. Her eyes flickered gold as they looked directly into his own deep onyx orbs.

"Tell me what happen." Was all the Uchiha said.

And she did. She told him how they got ass drunk, she told him how her forehead tingled when Neji's lips collided with her forehead, how they danced so closely that she couldn't even focus; the fishbowl effect that had come over her senses as his hands ran along her body. And then, she paused. Her bottom lip was captured in between her teeth and she looked back to the horizon. Her cheeks grew hot and began to tingle. The only thing she could remember after that-remember clearly, anyway- was Neji's head between her legs as she laid on their bed. Sasuke watched as her eyelids drooped to a half open position.

"You had sex." Sasuke stated simply.

Tenten nodded, however hesitantly. The raven haired boy did not fail to see the hesitation.

"Was that not what you wanted?" He asked carefully in a low tone.

"No...I did want it." The cheerleader mused. "It's what happen after…"

Sasuke hummed and nudged her shoulder, encouraging her to continue. A sigh escaped her lips. The following morning, she had woken up in his arms, still a bit damp and sweaty. She was still a bit dazed, however when she snapped back to being alert, she panicked a bit. And in that moment, she started to cry.

"Why?" The Uchiha cocked an eyebrow.

"I was just… surprised? Overwhelmed? Choose an adjective along those lines." Tenten murmured. "I was also a bit scared."

Sasuke cocked an eyebrow. "Of what?"

"Scared… of when he'd wake up." She whispered. "Of what he'd say, I guess."

Sasuke hummed. Neji definitely wasn't the best with his words when it came to these situations.

"And what did he say?" He pushed.

The Hyuga woke up to her with tears on her face. She didn't hear what he said to her in that moment (perhaps he had called her name?), but whatever it was made her curl up against him. His arms held her to his chest tightly as she wept in silent gasps. He held her there in bed for a while, until she had calmed down. Neji had let her shower first and they slowly walked downstairs to the kitchen where Hinata, Naruto, and Hanabi were already sitting at the table. They sat there, ate, and Neji brought her home.

"When he dropped me off at my door," she murmured. "We kind of just sat there for a moment."

It was an awkward moment, she admitted. The tension was high and they weren't sure what to say to each other about what happen. She had so many thoughts going through her mind that she wasn't sure if she should say something, or just leave. As she moved to leave, he asked her a question.

"Which was?" Sasuke shoved his hands in his pockets.

"'Did I hurt you?'" She sighed. "I knew what he was asking me really, but I couldn't answer; the words just weren't coming to my mouth...so, I just walked out his car."

Sasuke hummed. An interesting question really. One to which was not meant to be an arrogant statement to her physical state, but a concerned question to her emotional state. In other words, he was asking her how she felt about what just happen without bringing it up in a straightforward manner like he usually would bring something up. I was a sensitive topic that had been casted upon them over the night and probably, deep down they both saw it coming at some point but never addressed it. The Hyuga was looking a verbal affirmative that she was not emotionally damaged or regretting whatever happen without just going straight into the conversation; he wanted her to set the pace of their discussion in that moment. And looking into it, it was the best he could do with words for the moment, especially since the Uchiha could infer that Neji wasn't in the most stable mindset either (which was rare but he had just had drunken sex with his best friend/crush/special someone so of course he'd be a little fucked up on the inside). Tenten sucked her teeth and ran a hand through her bangs.

"What do you want to do?" Sasuke asked.

"I… don't know." Tenten hummed.

"Well," Sasuke leaned over the fence. "You love him, right?"

Tenten side glanced at him. She didn't like that word being used so casually. He was her best friend, her partner in crime, her counterpart. He treated her like a princess, but also as an equal. She couldn't imagine her life without him. And the way he held her the morning after made her scared that everything they had would change in the wrong way. And yet, he held her there in bed until she stopped crying and treated her with the same grace as he always did. He gave her that face of concern that he rarely let others see, or that genuine smile that Shikamaru had pointed out to her on their date. All the signs were there, and she was completely oblivious to them for the fact that Neji was just Neji to her and she loved that about him. Her cheeks puffed up. So, yes… she did love him. Sasuke put a hand on her shoulder.

"You know this better than I do," the Uchiha offered a small half smile. "He never does things he doesn't mean. For a long time, you've been the only thing in his life that he's put his whole time and energy into besides for his cousins. That is like leaps and bounds compared to what others could've done for you."

"You're right." She replied softly.

"I think you should give it a chance." Sasuke reassured her. "Besides, if you and I didn't know each other and you told me that you two weren't dating beforehand, I wouldn't have believed you."

At this, Tenten chuckled. "A lot of people say that."

"I'm no expert on this stuff-you've seen my track record- but, I think you should reply to his question, just for his sake of mind and figure it out afterwards...with him, not the group." He explained. "And whatever you two decide, everyone is just going to have to deal with."

At this point, the sun had dipped completely into the horizon. The lamps along the fence lit up as the dark blue night sky illuminated stars above them. He was right, she thought. It was up to them and them alone.

"I know I'm right," Sasuke ran a hand through his bangs. "He was pretty fucked up during practice today."

"Oh?"

Sasuke shrugged. "It's crazy what love does to you. He was probably so distraught that you didn't answer him, that he thought he had hurt you. And our dear Captain, was looking your way the entire practice and didn't focus. Do me a favor and figure this out quick so we can win the University Championship, alright?"

Tenten let loose a laugh. Leave it to Sasuke to give her a pep talk in such a manner. They stood there for another moment, their eyes casted upwards towards the night sky. They'd be alright, she hummed. It always works out between them. She turned her back to the city view and and inhaled slowly. Her heat had been beating rapidly through her talk with Sasuke, and it was finally starting to stabilize.

"Ahem."

She turned to the Uchiha. His arms were outstretched slightly; a hug (it was a rare occurrence but he was indeed capable of giving them). The cheerleader grinned and embraced him.

"Thanks, Sasuke. You're the best." She murmured.

"I know." He smirked. "C'mon, let's get you home."

Neji pulled up his jeans and threw his track shorts into his bag. He was almost certain that Tenten was waiting for him by the campus gates to walk Hyuga was expecting a quiet walk, one that held some awkward tension, but hopefully with them being alone, he could attempt to talk to her. The Hyuga pulled his crew-neck sweater over his tank top and reached for a comb. They had been weird all day, not just him and Tenten, but the whole group. They had kept their distance from the two of them since the party, probably unsure of what to ask him. Neji knew that his own answers weren't enough, but when no one pushed for more information, he got curious. Did Tenten tell them what happen? No, he shook his head slightly as he ran the brush through his hair. She wasn't the type of person to just run her mouth with this kind of information. And the way that Sasuke ran off before the rest of the team left the field made him a bit unsettled. At this point, he was certain that Sasuke went after Tenten. But for what, he didn't know. Fishing his phone from his pocket, he unlocked it. Going into his messages, he asked Sasuke where he whisked Tenten off to. His ivory eyes stared at his blank screen for a few moment, just waiting for a response. So, he turned to his blonde teammate.

"Naruto, come here."

The blonde flinched at his captain's voice. Pulling up his own boxers, the Uzumaki shuffled over.

"Eh… what's up?" he sweatdropped.

"Where did Sasuke take my best friend?" Neji's tone became low.

Naruto scratched the back of this head. Hinata had to him to lie, but he wasn't that good at lying (he normally left that to Sasuke to get him out of sticky situation. But with Sasuke not here, he might crack.

"I..uhm...I think Tenten went home with Ino…" He hesitated. "I'm not sure about Sasuke…"

Naruto waited for a reply. Neji's eyes stayed glued to his face, staring unblinkingly. He knew the blonde was lying. The theater major held his gaze with sweat pouring down his temples. Neji wouldn't call him out on his bluff...would he? The way he was staring at him was kind of...creepy...like a he will kill him in his sleep kind of creepy. But he had to hold his own for his friends. Still not blinking, Neji took a step forward and the whole locker room got quiet. Naruto backed up and jumped as his bare back hit the metal lockers. His eyebrows raised as Neji towered over him and continued to stare down at him. A hand slammed over his head against the locker; the Hyuga wasn't playing any games today. His hands started to shake and Naruto was expecting a hit to the face. But when it didn't come, he looked down at his own feet.

"I will not ask you again." Neji hissed.

Naruto inhaled and stood straight against the locker. "Sorry, but I'm not going to answer that."

The Hyuga's eyes squinted at the blonde.

"But what I will say," Naruto slapped the Hyuga's arm from above his head. "Is that you need to get a grip."

The Uzumaki sent a side glance his way before going back to his bag and continued to get dressed. Neji stood in his spot wide eyed at the blonde. It wasn't often someone stepped up to him, and the fact that it was Naruto was even more shocking. Clenching his fists, the Hyuga grabbed his belongings and walked out of the building. He stepped outside and noticed that the sun was low in the sky. They had to be far into the city by now, he thought. Tenten loved to walk along the beaches and be in high places where she could look along the horizon line and up at the stars. Sasuke liked isolating places where there was no typical commotion. The Uchiha liked to be around nature and engulfed in trees. There was only one place in the city that fit all of those characteristics. Walking to his car, Neji threw his bag into the trunk and slammed the hood of it shut.

"Hyuga."

Neji sighed and whipped around. Shikamaru stood with his bag over his shoulder and his hand in his pocket. The Nara asked him where he was going. He was going to go after them, which was obvious, however the Hyuga didn't admit to it out loud. There was nothing he could do at this point, according to Shikamaru. There was a good reason why Tenten didn't say a word to him and just go off. Sasuke wasn't the type of person who just went after a broken heart, they knew that. But it bothered Neji that Sasuke went out of his way to take her away and just be there when she needed someone to vent to; It should be him.

"Leave her be, Neji." Shikamaru stated.

"Fuck off." The Hyuga snapped and he made his way to the driver's seat.

"Fine, but the time you get there, they would be gone." the Philosophy major sighed. "You would've gone all that way for no reason."

Neji put a hand on his door.

"And besides… did you honestly think she'd want to talk to you after what happen?"

The Hyuga's knuckles turned white as he gripped on the door frame of the driver's seat car.

"You know, I never thought of you to be the clingy type," Shikamaru scratched the back of his head. "Why are you so attached to her?"

Neji's shoulders slumped. Shikamaru wasn't prepared for the expression he was given when his captain turned around. His eyes were half lidded and glazed over. His eyebrows were straight and layed low on his forehead. There was a faint red tint to is cheeks and his lips were in a thin line. A look of desperation that he had never expressed before. The Nara's eyes were wide, unsure of what to say. They just stood there looking at each other as the sky turned a deep blue hue and the stars began to shine through. He couldn't begin to understand what was going through his captain's mind as they looked at each other; he looked hopeless and broken. But then, Neji brought a hand to his eye and rubbed it. Tucking his long bangs behind his ears, he spoke with a solid voice that caught Shikamaru off guard, for the voice did not match the expression.

"Because…" Neji whispered. "She's all I have."

His hair whipped around as he settled himself in the driver's seat of his luxury car and shut the door. Turning his key, he switched on his lights and backed out of his parking spot. Shikamaru was still present in his rear view mirror with that same shocked expression on his face. Sighing, he put his car in drive. The lazy Nara stood in the parking lot as he watched the white car drive off of campus. All he has, huh? Everyone knew that Neji had a strained relationship with his family. He was more of a guardian to Hinata and Hanabi than a relative. He had to grow up quickly since his parents left him alone in his early teens. As Ino would say as a Psychology major, Neji missed a few milestones in his life on an emotional level, which is why he self regulated differently than the rest of them. But due to individual variation, the Hyuga was probably already matured by the time he reached thirteen, which is why he was probably left to himself in the first place. Shikamaru pitied him in a way, he was usually a quiet guy with a cold heart. But Tenten and Lee pulled him out of his shell and made him the man he was today. His bond with Tenten grew extensively and soon, as he said, she became his everything.

"Ah…" Shikamaru turned on his heel and walked toward his own car. "What a drag."


	14. X

Patience is not simply the ability to wait, it's how we behave while we're waiting- Joyce Meyer

Sleepless Night X

Tenten leaned against the motorcycle with an ice cream cone in her hands. They had made a pit stop along the way and was pleasantly surprised that some stores were still open. Sasuke paid for her cone and bought himself a can of soda since he wasn't a big fan of sweets. The pair stayed outside of the Hua house, just until the cheerleader finished her cone. She didn't want to go inside yet, she wanted to have a bit of company that wasn't her parents or her brother asking her where she had been or why she was out late without telling them. Then again, it's not like they'd press her about it since she was an adult for the most part. However, Sasuke wasn't going to leave her on her step alone in the dark.

"Thanks for this," the Chinese woman turned to her friend. "You really don't have to stay, though. I know you live a ways out from me."

Sasuke shrugged. "It's not a big deal. I don't want to be home right now."

The street lamps were illuminating a soft light around them which washed out the stars. Tenten sighed as she took a bite into her cone. It was peaceful, she thought. And odd, in a way. She never thought that Sasuke would be the one who turned out to be that friend who lent an ear and a shoulder to cry on. He didn't do it for everyone, she knew. Just a few people were graced with that privilege like Sakura and Naruto. Although he came off as an arrogant fuck who didn't care for other's problems, he was the exact opposite when it came to people he cared about. It was only a few, and he could count those people on one hand.

Btttz

Btttz

Sasuke hummed as he watched Tenten pull her phone from her bag. She glanced at the caller ID and cocked an eyebrow. The Uchiha leaned over her shoulder and smirked. Putting the phone on speaker, she gave a greeting.

"Where'd you go?" Was the first thing out of the phone.

"I went to grab some sweets with Sasuke." Tenten replied nonchalantly. "Where you waiting for me?"

"It would've been nice to get a text so I wouldn't be w-"

"Awww, where you worried, Hyuga?" Sasuke teased. "Don't worry, the princess is safe from harm."

Tenten held her cone between her teeth and smacked the Uchiha's arm. Sasuke laughed at the swipe and brought his can of soda to his lips.

"Whatever, Uchiha." Neji replied so dryly you can practically hear his eyes rolling in his skull. "Are you home?"

"Yep. Been here for a while." Tenten said taking a big bite out of her cone. "Are you coming by?"

There was a pause on the other line. Sasuke and Tenten exchanged glanced and waited for a response.

"Neji?" Tenten called out.

"Yeah… I'll be over in a few." His voice finally sounded.

"Okay, see you soon." And with that she hung up and proceeded to munch on her cone.

"How causal," Sasuke mused. "As if nothing has changed."

"Well, am I supposed to sound nervous?" Tenten cocked an eyebrow.

The Uchiha shrugged; Guess not. Though, she seemed rather nonchalant about this whole thing now. And compared to earlier, Tenten's attitude had definitely changed. It was just a moment of weakness, everyone has those once in a while. She was back to normal for the most part, but he could tell that she still had a few things running in her mind.

"You know he's going to press you on this until he gets an answer."

"I know. But after that talk we had, I'm feeling a bit more confident and sorted out. So, answering him will come easy." Tenten replied popping the remainder of her cone into her mouth. "You know what's funny?"

Sasuke cocked an eyebrow in response. Tenten finished chewing before looking up at the night sky. She had expected Shikamaru to be in his place. The Uchiha hummed; it made sense why she'd think that. The Nara had asked her out on a date and they did spend some time together. However, it wasn't as fruitful as the group expected. They were friends, and it was more of a one chance type of thing for Shikamaru. If the Nara was in his place, would the conversation had gone into a different direction? He wasn't selfish and wouldn't try to sabotage the situation with his own notions. That would just be a jackass move. Shikamaru knew his place in this, and if he stepped out of his line that would more trouble than it was worth for him.

"Yeah, doesn't seem like he'd take too much interest." Tenten replied with a chuckle.

"Well, I'm sure Lee would have reacted differently… if he was down for partying like we do anyway." The Uchiha murmured. "Maybe he'd get a girl if he actually came with us."

Tenten shrugged. "He doesn't like those kind of party scenes all the time. Plus, you've seen him drunk… he's an absolute mess." She ran a hand through her bangs. "He only comes out to parties when he can't think of a good excuse to not come."

They laughed. For the first time in a while, Tenten had laughed and it made Sasuke's chest tighten in delight. They thought they had left all this nonsense back in high school, but it just followed them around university like their shadows. Didn't the saying go that high school was to be the best years of one's life? Nah, they had to disagree, University was definitely the best years of their life.

"Do you… wanna go inside and wait for him?" Sasuke asked after watching her crack a yawn.

"Nah, I'm alright. Besides, I would rather talk to Neji out here than inside where my parents and brother could conveniently wake up and butt in." The cheerleader sighed.

"Understandable." He replied simply.

There was no conversation after that. They stood there on the curb leaning against Sasuke's motorcycle with their eyes glued to the sky. The silence was comfortable. It offered stillness and quiet. After a few moments, Sasuke felt Tenten's arm weave around his. The affection was in casual form; her way of feeling secured in the situation. And that was alright with him. Their friendship had definitely expanded a quite a bit. They were close like they've known each other forever, but they were still a bit at a distance. Knowing everything about someone is great, but the way they saw it was that when you find those key components that work, all those extra loads don't really matter. This was their component; stillness. Sasuke's phone vibrated suddenly which cause Tenten to jump. He shot her an apologetic look before checking the screen.

From: Pain in the ass

Are you two still together? Neji stormed off from the locker room. He went after you guys a bit earlier. He is steaming like all holy hell, bro. Watch yourself.

Sasuke sent an affirmative reply and scratched the back of his head with his free hand. Naruto was a bit late with that text, since Neji had already called Tenten. But did he imply that the Hyuga tried to catch up with them when they were on the northern part of the city? Had he been trying to track them? It was only a matter of time before he showed up anyway.

"Naruto?" Tenten asked with her gaze still pointed upwards.

"Uh, yeah… just checking in." Sasuke murmured and pocketed the phone. "Nothing major."

Tenten was about to say something but right when she opened her mouth, a luxury car had pulled up to the curb in front of the motorcycle. Neji stepped out of his car gracefully, however, in haste. He stepped up to the pair and shot a glare at the Uchiha.

"Easy there, Hyuga. She's in one piece." Sasuke stated waving his hand toward the Engineering major next to him. "No harm done."

The Hyuga glanced over at Tenten and his face softened a bit. The cheerleader released her hold on Sasuke's arm and stepped up to her best friend. Her fingers intertwined with his and she led him to the street side of his car. The Uchiha has no reason to be here at this point. However, he crossed his arms over his chest and closed his eyes. He would stay until they figured it out between them.

"Where did you go?" Neji asked. "I usually walk home with you."

Tenten offered a small smile. "I needed some time to myself."

"With him?" He gestured to the Uchiha.

"Yes. I had some thoughts that needed some ears." She replied softly. "Besides, I have to tell you something."

Neji squeezed her hand slightly, urging her to continue. Tenten looked him in the eye and stated that he did not hurt her, rather he overwhelmed her and confused her to an extent. She needed a moment of stillness to collect herself and a set of ears that would just listen without any side comments. Sasuke offered her that stillness and he offered a push of thought to collect herself. It was nothing against the Hyuga, in fact she didn't want to say anything until she had herself in order. Neji's chest fell in relief as she smiled at him. Now that she was in order, she was able to be genuine with her words.

"Neji, about what happen," Tenten shifted her weight where she stood. "I think we both had some feelings pent up for a while now. I've just been too oblivious to see it."

The Hyuga shook his head. "I've should've been more out right with it from the beginning."

At this she cocked her head to the side. "From… the beginning?"

Neji inhaled and looked into her eyes. He gently laid her hand on on his chest. Her palm was warm through his sweater. His emotions hadn't been in check for quite some time; a few years to be more specific. No amount of video games or meditation could bring back that mental equilibrium. She took his breath away, even when they argued or they'd have to deal with each other shit-faced drunk. The way her eyes sparkled gold whenever she smiled made his stomach flutter and his own lips spread into a small smile of his own. Whenever they'd hold hands, he'd never fail to notice how her long slender finger weaved in perfectly with his, and how her palm always radiated that welcoming heat. Her work ethic was one to be admired, she never gave up with anything she did and she always finished what she started. And through all that thought, he kept his mouth shut. From the corner of his eye, he could see Sasuke puffing on his vape a few feet away. This was probably the only chance he'll get to say something.

"Look, Tenten," he sighed. "I'm… really bad at this kind of stuff."

Tenten blinked.

"And… the words are a bit hard for me to get out…"

"I know." She stated quietly. "Try your best."

There was a moment of silence between them. Sasuke glanced over and noticed them just standing there looking at each other. Rolling his eyes, he puffed out his mint vape smoke and groaned.

"Out with it, Hyuga! We don't have all night!" The Uchiha called from his spot.

A vein popped in the Hyuga's head and he glared at the Uchiha. That bastard needed to leave, but Neji knew he wasn't going anywhere until they said something to each other. So, taking a deep breath, he leaned his forehead against hers and sighed. Right when he was about to open his mouth, she spoke.

"I know. And I love you too."

His heart stopped and his vision was a bit hazy. She knew? Tenten gave a soft chuckle as she laid a soft kiss on his slightly opened mouth. He didn't even say it outright, and yet she had read his mind like usual. This caused Neji to blink, this his vision sharpening. His hands found her waist and her returned the gesture tenderly. Her arms snaked around his neck as she lifted herself on her toes to attempt to match his height. Heat began to radiate against their faces. Was that 'spark' nothing but a tale when you kiss someone you were longing for? Probably, but the idea seemed a bit too cliche for the two of them anyway. And they stood there, just embracing each other for a silent moment. Tears began to stream down Tenten's face as emotions overtook her senses. Neji pulled away, a bit confused as to why she was crying.

"Are you okay?" He asked curiously in a low whisper.

"Yeah, I'm fine," The cheerleader reassured him with a smile. "Just overwhelmed, is all… fuck, you know I don't cry a lot...hate this..."

Neji smiles a bit as he watched her wipe away her tears. But then his smile turned into a slight frown. There was a question that hung in the air; now what? Were they dating? Or even a couple? He wasn't too good at reading into these types of things. Whatever they were now, he was comfortable with. They'd figure it out later, he thought. It was like a natural phenomenon between them; things always fell into place eventually. A slight cough caused him to turn around. Sasuke was looking right at them with a small smirk on his face. Tenten separated herself from the Hyuga and trotted over to him. Her arms flew around his neck and she pressed herself against him.

"Thanks." She murmured. "For everything."

"Of course." Sasuke whispered into her ear.

The Uchiha reached for his bike helmet and winked at her in farewell. Propping himself on the bike, he looked back at his friends. Neji was holding her hand with a gentle expression on his face while Tenten was beaming adorably like a dork. In a way, it was nothing surprising. Nothing had technically changed from an outsider's perspective. He didn't suspect any of their behaviors to change around everyone else either. It's just how they were. Sighing to himself, he pushed off the curve and made his way down the street.

Tenten laid in bed with her phone in her hands. The device had been buzzing for the past half hour, nonstop with individual direct messages and group chats from her friends. For some reason, they had been congratulating her and Neji. But for what she wasn't too sure. Deciding not to bother replying to any of them, the Engineering Major tapped lightly on her screen. She was going through everyone's SnapChat's for the day. Sakura and Ino has spent most of the night together at a bar. A clip flashed with Ino talking to a guy who just so happen to be that weird guy Sai (who the blonde was currently dating), who had a colorful drink in his hands and that same awkward smile as Ino talked to him. Tenten didn't know too much about him besides for what Ino complained about, but he seemed alright for the most part. Clicking on Hinata's icon, she hummed as a picture of her friend in a periwinkle skirt and a white blouse flashed on the screen. It was a mirror picture, right before her date with Naruto. Apparently, they were still out judging by the time she uploaded the picture. Scrolling down the list, she clicked on Lee's icon. He was at the gym with some buddies from his MMA club doing late night drills and just hanging out. A small smile rested on her lips as she clicked away. Tenten then clicked on Sasuke's icon. There was the usual outfit of the day post from this morning, some more edgy selfies in versions classrooms and courtyards (probably some pics from his Instagram as well judging by the quality) then, some locker room clips of the guys throwing shit at each other before track practice. A small chuckle escaped her lips as a clip appeared of Sasuke and Naruto zooming into the back of her head as she was being lifted into a stunt. The camera then shifted to her backside with the caption "nice" and a smirk emoji. Of course he would, she thought. It was pretty hilarious actually. Clicking through more selfies and clips of the track team racing and timing each other, she landed on another picture of herself. She was leaning over he metal fence with her back to him, looking out on the city with her hair still in her high ponytail and her bow rustling slightly as a breeze went by. It looked like the photo was planned, it was quite beautiful. Clicking her screen once more there were pictures of them getting ice cream and soda from a convenience store. For one of them, she had stuck her tongue out at the camera since she had caught him pointing his phone at her. Her finger pressed her screen again.

"Ah… that bastard…" she squinted at the next photo.

Sasuke has caught a great shot of her and Neji. You can really only see her face in the photo since Neji had his back to him. Tenten had tears running down her face, but she was smiling. Her eyes were closed and she realized it was just after they had kissed. The caption given had "fucking finally" written and it was screenshotted a few times. It was a special moment, and she was happy that the Uchiha was great at sneaking candid pictures of everyone. Opening her messaging app, she asked him to send her the pictures. Within minutes, she had every picture he took of her that day, including the one of her and Neji. Deciding to check her group chat , she scrolled up to see that they were still going on about the two of them and that picture Sasuke had posted not too long ago. Some wrote in caps (Naruto and Ino) to express their excitement and shock. Some straight up just congratulated them (Shino, Lee, Kiba, Shikamaru, and Sakura) and others claimed to have known the whole time that they would get together eventually (Hinata and Ino). Yes, it was exciting for all of them. And even though he didn't reply to any of them, there was a green dot next to Neji's name to show he was online and probably reading all of the messages himself. A laugh escaped her throat as she scrolled down, skimming through the conversation. Geez, the cheerleader thought as she checked the time. Tenten had to be up early for class the next day. The clock had just hit around two in the morning when she locked her phone and plugged it into her speaker to charge. Right as she turned on her side, it lit up. Her eyes were closed as a message appeared on her screen; A simple "Good Night" from the Hyuga was left unread until the she woke up again.


	15. Bonus

Bonus chapter

Hinata hummed as she sat on her porch swing. Her older cousin was across from her, reading a book that was probably for one of his Advanced Placement classes . It was mid-summer and they had just been released from their high school to enjoy a month long break in the heat. The Hyuga girl had just completed her freshman year and had met many of her new friends through her own classes. She was invited to sit with a group of girls at lunch who were in her English class and soon they had become great friends. Her cousin was one of the popular ones. Him and his two friends were at the top of the food chain at school and by association, made her popular as well. However, popularity was seen as a pain to Neji and he never played into it. Though, Hinata swore that he was living in a teenage lifetime show since him and his friends fit the stereotypical mold of the energetic Jock (Lee), the Academic heartthrob (Neji himself), and the attractive Cheerleader (Tenten). Within that stereotype though, they weren't like a lifetime drama; Rock Lee wasn't being whisked away by girls left and right along with the fact that he wasn't into parties unless Tenten and Neji went with him. Tenten was neck in neck with Neji in being the top of her class, and she didn't fit the mold of a cheerleader to one's usual expectations due to her sass as well as her nonchalant attitude. She cheered for the thrill of being lifted into the air and for the workout; she barely hung around her cheermates outside of practice. Then, there was her cousin. There wasn't much to say really; Neji was Neji. He was a genius by birth and studied twenty-four-seven. He wanted to be a lawyer and had the grades and money to do it for sure. However, he was a bit aloof and unfriendly to those who threw themselves at him. Granted, he's had a rough life. His parents decided to focus purely on the family business and left him to his own condo once he graduated from middle school. And he was tasked with the responsibility to be a guardian for his younger cousins. It was a lot, and Hinata indeed felt a bit sorry for him but she knew he didn't take pity. But this year, he had changed a bit. As mentioned earlier, he had two friends. Well, he had just became close with them this year. Rock Lee and her cousin had been in the same middle school, so they knew each other already. Tenten was introduced to him last year, however, they had gotten close this term and the effects were certainly showing.

"Are you hanging out with Tenten today?" Hinata asked her cousin.

Neji glanced up from his book and shook his head. She had left right after the last day of classes to visit some family out of the country. She'd be gone for a week or so. Hinata nodded and watched as he returned his gaze to his book.

"Why do you ask?" He murmured.

"Oh, no reason. I thought you'd make plans with her and Lee since we're on break now." His cousin explained as she leaned back on the porch swing.

"No...no plans. Not until she comes back, anyway." Neji replied nonchalantly. "Did you want to do something with me?"

"I mean… if it's alright. I don't like staying inside when the weather is nice."

"Alright, I'll think of some things we could do when I'm finished with this book for next term."

That was the change. He was being more talkative and social with others after he became friend with those two. She had never seen it before until this year. And Hinata knew specifically who had caused that change. Tenten was with him all the time in the hallways, he'd pick her up from her classes, and they'd sit together for lunch. Neji had joined the track and field club as well so he would have something to do as he waited for Tenten to be released from cheer practice. Whenever she was brought up in conversation, his tone would change to a more brighter, warmer tone and his mood would lighten to the point where his eyes would shine. His face would become soft whenever she smiled at him. Hell, they were each other's favorites in their contact lists and texted constantly. Hinata would catch him going through her Facebook posts and liking Instagram pictures of her. Tenten has even come to this very house a few times to hang out with herself and Hanabi while Neji was out running errands. And whenever, she'd smile at him there would be an almost nonexistent smile on his lips (you got to squint in order to see it). It was like this girl was an angel or something the way Neji looked at her.

"Hey Neji?"

"Hn?" He grunted.

"I have a deep question for you." Hinata stated.

"Deep? Alright, what is it?" His ivory eyes didn't leave the page, but stopped moving.

"Out of your friends, who would you say you had more of a connection with?"

He shrugged in response but answered anyway. "Probably Tenten. We get along well and I enjoy her company."

"Is that all?" Hinata pressed. "I see you smile a lot more when she's around."

At this, Neji looked up.

"Hinata, are you implying that I have feeling for her?"

Hinata grinned. "There's nothing wrong with a crush."

He rolled his eyes and leaned back. He enjoyed her vibe and her personality. She was a firecracker that lit up his mind. The bunhead held her arguments up very well and challenged everything he said to her. She always took his words with a grain of salt and just flashed him a smile. Tenten was a quick best friend that he didn't see coming. He was intrigued by her personality and way of thinking. Her sense of adventure was refreshing to him and her smile was always genuine.

"Ah, that sounds like something out of a love story." Hinata mused longingly.

Neji's cheeks turned red and he pursed his lips together. "I enjoy her presence in my life, Hinata. That's all."

"Oh, sure." The younger Hyuga hummed. "I bet she makes your chest tingle when she looks at you. I see the way your cheeks get pink whenever she holds your hand in the hallways and-"

"Alright." Neji snapped. "Enough. What of it?"

Hinata squealed in delight. This was good for him, she thought. He had found someone like Tenten to balance him out and keep him company.

"Have you told her yet?"

"I just met her this year, that's a bit much." He replied. "Besides, things will get weird."

The younger Hyuga sighed. "You don't know that until-"

"Do me a favor, and keep your mouth shut." Neji cut her off. "I don't need and issues for once in my life. Especially with Tenten."

Hinata closed her mouth and nodded. She understood completely and promised to keep his secret.


End file.
